Time After Time
by Bored Nephil
Summary: Epic battles and love set in the future of Konoha. It's been like forever. ShikaIno, NaruHina, others... This isn't really a romance pairing story per se.
1. Domestic Bliss

A/N: This story is a long epic that puts the Naruto characters about six and a half years forward in time from their initial age to around nineteen years of age. There is some action, some drama, comedy and romance. Hopefully you'll find the plot believable!

I am pulling story elements from the manga up until the time jump Kishimoto-san just made at Chapter 245. This fic is AU for anything that happens after that although I will incorporate some things from later chapters. Anime watchers shouldn't be fazed, but there is possibility for spoilage.

Finally there will be a mild yaoi relationship with my personal fav KakaIru, but to those who wish to avoid it I'm going to identify those chapters upfront. The focus will be on romance and character development not the "insert Tab A in Slot B" aspects of love and sex so please don't worry yourselves too much about it!

The main character is Shikamaru, but Ino, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Iruka and Kakashi all play major roles. Pretty much everyone makes an appearance!

Enjoy,

BN

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto is Kishimoto-san's and will never be mine

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Chapter One – Domestic Bliss

The dawn found Yamanaka Ino walking briskly along the small streets of Konoha Village. Her obsession with keeping on schedule had taken over legs this morning and all too soon she arrived at her destination. It was early summer and before the noon hour the air was still dewy and cool. Ino relished the simple act of breathing in the fresh clean smell the air had in this season. In no time at all she had reached the yellow-brick apartment building that had become her regular stop for the last nineteen months.

_"It isn't the nicest property in town,"_ she commented to herself for what seemed like the hundredth time, _"..., but for a first place out of your parents' house it isn't bad either."_ Climbing the three flights of steps that signaled the end of her journey Ino switched the bag of groceries she was carrying to her other hip and fished her keys from her pocket. The door was sticking a little this morning as she opened it, stumbling into the dim one room apartment.

Steadingly herself Ino glanced around to survey the home of her boytoy. Two mismatched chairs faced a square little table whose sole purpose was to hold his cherished Go board. Set with small black and white stones that made it always seem abandoned in mid-play. Piles of laundry and scrolls along with a couple of futon cushions covered the remainder of the floor space. She noted that all the sharp pointy things were in the designated corner, which made her pleased. The kunai and underwear pile was a recipe for disaster. The final piece of real furniture was a black painted coffee table that functioned as both a dining room and home office.

She placed her parcel on the counter of the small kitchenette that lined the near wall before going over to push open the curtains to let some light in. The drapes revealed a pair of sliding glass doors that led out to a small railed balcony.

Ino sighed to herself.

A laundry line was tied up blocked the only saving grace of his flat, which was a surprising nice view of the village looking east. Turning back she spied the one corner where the sun's rays did not yet reach. In its shadowy preserve lying on an uncovered mattress was the "master" of this fine abode. Sprawled on his back with the sheets twisted around him, he was almost indistinguishable from the other piles on the floor. Ino could still hear him snoozing away lightly despite all the noise she must have made coming in.

She walked over to the small gas stove next to the sink counter where she had put the groceries and in a deliberate fashion picked up the largest pot on the range Ino tested its weight in her hand and with an approving nod dropped it with a metal crash back on to the burner. She turned back with a satisfied look to see her results.

The boy had bolted upright to stare at her wide-eyed. His long hair, freed from the constraints of its ponytail stuck out at crazy angles from his head.

"Ino!" he yelled.

"Rise and shine, Shikamaru-kun!"

With a strangling sound he collapsed back down to the futon.

"Sometimes you worry me, " she said starting in on making breakfast. "You know I could blindfold Choji, spin him like top and shove him in here... you probably still wouldn't wake up. It's just not healthy for a ninja to sleep that heavily."

"Argh! It's cause this working everyday thing is so much of a pain," he groaned. He lied there for a while looking at his ceiling and tried to call the desire to get up. It was a daunting task and one he had no intention of winning at.

He rolled onto his side to watch Ino's back as she prepared breakfast in the kitchen area. Like always she had the energy of ten hungry tigers. Shikamaru also noticed she was wearing her favorite color (and his on her), purple. It was just like her old genin outfit.

"_She looks really cute today," he thought._

"Hey Ino," he said coyly, "why don't we both just call out sick for about a week." His tone deepened a little as he dragged a finger along the pillow, "... and then we can, you know... spend all day in bed together."

The rhythmic percussion of Ino's chopping on the cutting board did not even skip a beat as she gave him her sobering response. "Yes, and then my father would kick down the door and skin you alive. If you miraculously survived that event, then your mother would come by to finish the job… and honestly, I've put too much work into you to start training another boyfriend."

He smiled. They had a different version of the same conversation at least once a week. Shikamaru rose scratching his head. He grabbed some clothes and his ninja gear and wandered into the leaking closet his landlord called a bathroom. By the time he came out breakfast waited on the table and Ino was outside taking his dry clothes off the line. The entire apartment had been straightened a little here and there, that classic woman's touch.

He sat down eagerly to a simple meal. Ino was a staunch traditionalist when it came to food. Miso soup, rice balls wrapped in nori and some of her mouthwatering grilled fish leftover from dinner last night were laid out before him. He paused for a second in momentary appetite loss. Shikamaru loved Ino's cooking, but he really couldn't wait until leftovers weren't such a major part of their diet.

The Yamanakas while not powerful were a pretty wealthy clan in the village. Their flower shop and hothouse business provided fresh produce year round to all Konoha and they had almost no competition. Ino's suite of rooms in her parent's house alone was over half the size of the home he grew up in.

His family managed the Nara forest preserve, which was supposedly this all-important task given to his great grandfather by the first Hokage. The deer found there were considered rare and valuable medically. Whatever... it all sounded good, but the stipend the village paid his dad to play park ranger didn't exactly have them living the high life growing up.

_"I can't wait until I get that raise in pay next month, "_ he thought. Although to be truthful with himself it wasn't going to make a whole hell of a lot of difference. He had been saving up for over a year now and there were just a couple more weeks until he would have enough to do as he had been planning.

"_I should probably talk to dad too,"_ he thought decidedly. If he had any problems he could always borrow the money from him and pay it back later. He was finishing his second rice ball when Ino came in with a neatly folded pile. She placed it down and grabbed the teapot off the burner before sitting down with him. Shikamaru took the pot from her and went straight to pouring a cup for each of them.

"So how is your summer class going?" he asked.

"Oh fine, you know how it is. The summer cram classes are for the kids who are have difficulty with certain jutsu. Today I've got five of the chibis and we working on Bushins. It's funny, there's Kanae who can't transform into people, but she can henge into any animal she's ever seen, and then there's this little boy Sai who..."

Shikamaru could really care less about kids or the academy, but Ino was so happy being a student teacher. Working under Iruka-sensei who they now called a 'headmaster' she taught all the students under the age of ten. She couldn't have older kids due to the fact she never went for Chuunin again after the year he passed. It never seemed to bother her though and given the risks in taking the exam it didn't bother him a whole lot either.

"Are you listening!" Ino asked.

Shikamaru gave a start.

"Sure! Bushin no jutsu today! Kanae can only turn into pigs, there's some Sai kid..."

Ino laughed. She got up and came around to his side of the table and after finding a brush somewhere on the floor she sat behind him. This was another ritual of theirs. Ino swore he didn't know how to take care of his hair.

She undid the leather string holding up his tail and then with a practiced hand brushed the knots out.

"I still don't understand how you have such good hair," she said "I know women who would give their right arm to have it this thick and soft."

Shikamaru barely heard her. He was too busy savoring the feel of her touch. Ino's soft, warm hands slid along his neck and behind his ears while in the act of brushing. He suppressed a shiver as the tingles went down his spine. He'd never tell her, but for him it was one of the most innocently erotic things they did together. She deftly wound the leather cord backup to finish the job.

The chuunin felt very at peace with the world at that moment. Ino cleared the table as he wandered out the patio doors to get a breath of fresh air. He was doing some cloud watching when he felt her beside him.

"Shikamaru, I've decided I want to have a baby."

The old wooden railing they were leaning on gave a sudden squeal of protest as Shikamaru gripped the thing with terror-born strength. He forced himself to pry his hands off it as he turned to her.

"Ino, honey, our parents would flip if you got pregnant. The only way they would allow that to happen is if we got married."

She looked up at him with a pleased expression. "See! I tell my mom all time how smart you are."

He couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I've told you before give us some time to each get settled a little more, then of course when everything's ready I'll..."

Ino was already inside the apartment again as the glass door slammed with a force that made him cringe. It really couldn't take more than a few hits like that. He to took a moment to prepare himself for the worst before walking in.

"Ino?" he called in a soothing voice. "Baby, I'm sorry I know..."

She was facing the sink and he could hear her breathing heavily. As she turned to him, she appeared on the edge of tears. However breaking down in sobs was not the style of Yamanaka Ino. She picked up the spatula on the counter and wielded it at him like a weapon.

"No! Shikamaru you don't know anything. Sometimes... sometimes I feel like we are going great and everything's going to happen, like I want, like I think we want... and then you change... you shut off from me and then I can't tell what's going on..."

He hated to see her upset like this. He reached out a hand to her.

"Ino, just listen... "

The spatula clattered into the sink.

"No! Shut up, you listen! I don't care if we're poor, I don't want that... I don't need money. If I did I'd be after Neji or even Choji. I'm sick and tired of it. Tired... tired of you thinking you're not good enough or... or you need something more to..."

She threw hands up in disgust.

"God! If I wanted a relationship like this I'd go back to trying to steal Sasuke from Sakura again. At least he's... eek!"

Shikamaru had moved with speed only a ninja could possess. He had scooped her up from where she stood and in the blink of an eye they were back out on the balcony, but this time he stood poised like statue on corner of that old rickety railing. He stared at her with a fierce stony expression and his voice contained a heat she rarely ever heard.

"What makes you think I would ever let any of them take you away from me."

Ino felt the wind blow over them as he stood with her perched high about the pavement. A small shudder passed through her that she knew had little to do with the breeze or the fear of falling.

She forgot sometimes that under that mask of affable laziness the person she was in love with a ninja of the Leaf. At that moment he looked more made of tempered steel than mere flesh and bone.

_"He's gotten so strong," she realized. _

In the last couple years the change was so apparent, and it wasn't something she alone recognized. Everyone in the village who wasn't a complete idiot saw it. She was so proud of him and at the same time, even more, a little afraid.

_"It's scary to love someone this much," Ino thought._

She put a hand gently to his face and looked into his dark eyes.

"I want you to know we are on the same side," she said. "When you can, I want you to share your troubles with me. And above all else I need you to know I love you no matter what."

His face softening Shikamaru let her down. Ino stepped easily to the railing as a lifetime of ninja training gave her the same surefooted grace he possessed. There bathed in the morning sun they kissed deeply, breaking after a while to merely hold each other closely.

Ino looked up at him finally and smiled. "This is way too melodramatic," she said. To his surprise, she broke free and jumped down to the porch. He swayed comically with windmilling arms to correct his balance.

"Go to work." she told him. "I'll clean up here before I go. Don't worry; my classes are all in the afternoon today. And if you're mission is longer than a daytrip send a note through the administration office."

Shikamaru's face was still a little serious as he leaned down to he speak with her, though his voice had switched back to that pleasant smoky tone she only heard when he was being a flirt.

"Just give me a few weeks until the Fire Night festival Ino and then I'll make you the happiest women in the world." With that he disappeared in a grand flourish of nin-smoke.

"Showoff," she muttered with an indulgent smile.

Ino couldn't help humming happily to her as she tidied up before heading back to the family flower shop. Shikamaru's parting words had put her in a chipper mood.

Later locking the door to leave she mused, _"The best part of getting in a fight with your boyfriend has to be making up at the end."_

TO BE CONTINUED

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	2. At First Sight

A/N: This is the yaoi, actually its more like shonen-ai angst, but if that sort of thing upsets you or you have a thing for Iruka or Kakashi and can't live with the thought of them preferring each other to say, well, you personally, then maybe you should skip this.

The relationship is just an element to the story and the guys are pretty true (I think) to character! That being said I think Kakashi is as straight as an arrow in the manga, I just thought it be fun to write a character like this!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 2 - At First Sight 

The wind was dewy and surprising cool for a summer morning as Kakashi sat on a high roof just south of the Hokage monument. He was enjoying his morning breakfast of instant coffee and a pack of sweet rolls while the sun's brilliance highlighted the watching sentinels. To him they were the perfect companions to start the day. He found they did not say much, but they always had a smile.

The Hokage were people he respected and, in case of the young looking guy on the end, loved like a father. He didn't get out to see them a lot, but they always made him feel a part of something bigger or greater than just himself. For him with teammates gone and no clan to speak of... it helped.

Sucking the last bits of icing off his fingers he swished the final bit of caffeinated goodness in his mouth before tossing the styrofoam cup down to a dumpster five stories below. He pulled his mask up over his nose and adjusted his forehead protector cover the Sharigan he had been given as a gift a while back. Finished, he sighed contentedly.

_"I'm ready for anything,"_ he thought. Getting up to leave he gave a small wave goodbye to the silent hosts.

He sped off towards the Ninja administration building when he realized his pockets felt a little lighter than usual.

"Oh, I forgot my book," he said aloud.

Hatake Kakashi was a man of many fine qualities, but a good attention span was not one of them. He got bored way too easily for most people's liking. A good book was the only way to pass the time, most times, and he had just gotten the next volume in his favorite series this one entitled 'Icha Icha Classroom." It had sounded very educational.

He knew ecchi novels were perhaps a little immature at this point in life, but he didn't care. At least they kept his attention and they certainly didn't require a lot of brainpower.

He doubled back along the rooftops at a relaxed pace when he spotted something that made him stop dead in his tracks. Looking down through a window he spied someone naked in their apartment. Now normally he didn't bother which such simple-minded pursuits, but he felt compelled for some reason to stop and watch for a bit.

He saw that it was a young guy who had a tight, smooth body and a fantastic- looking butt. It looked like he just got out of the shower, since he was bent over slightly drying his hair. He was swaying a little and it took a Kakashi second to realize was actually dancing to something. Straining his ears, he faintly heard music playing in the background. It was something energetic and upbeat, like a pop song. The entire scene was turning out to be pretty arousing.

Kakashi had to swallow to ward of the sudden drool reaction he felt coming on; always a danger for the masked professional. Then the man, who still had his back to the window, threw the towel down to the bed. He started to brush out his hair which appeared to be long and a dark glossy brown. Snatching a rubber band from a dresser in front of him, he started to gather his hair up in a ponytail. This nubile adonis was still swaying his hips to the music as he kept arms raised occupied with tying. The spectacle was driving Kakashi crazy.

_"This is great."_ he thought as he adjusted his pants a little to compensate for the sudden lack of room. _"This guy should sell tickets." _He leaned forward a little hoping desperately this guy would turn around. He had to see who this was.

"I hope the front end is as nice as the back end," he murmured to himself.

Hair done he dropped his hands to his sides and finally turned to face the window. Kakashi's eyed him slowly from the bottom up. _"Very nice,"_ he thought. It was then, all of the sudden, he recognized who this was.

_"It's Iruka," _he noted with surprise._ "Well, well, he looks a lot better with his clothes off."_

Iruka was looking right in his direction now when his face became angry and he began to charge towards the window.

_"Oh no," _Kakashi realized_, "He sees me."_ Disappearing in a puff of smoke he didn't stop to catch a breather until an alley two streets over. "That was close. I'm sure he didn't recognize me."

Hatake was very late at this point and decided he would double back to his apartment to pick up the book after lunch. In fact, as he sped off to the administration building all he could think of was how many days he should wait before he tried to catch a repeat performance. He could even get one of those disposal camera's with no flash.

The copy ninja was in a great mood when he checked in at the front desk with the dispatcher. Ever since his genin team had moved on to other things about three years ago he was just taking easy. Doing some of the easier B rank missions solo, in fact he was even considering volunteering to be an instructor in the next chuunin exam.

Anko was on mission dispatch duty when he got there. The fiery female jounin was always quick to make a smart remark, but Kakashi had to admit she had a wicked sense of humor he enjoyed.

"Ohayou, Anko-san!"

"You mean konichiwa, right Kakashi?" she shot back tapping her watch.

"Oh yes of course, komen, komen! I forget an important personal item and then was distracted by majesty of our great memorial to the Hokages."

Anko's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Here's your assignment..."

Anko broke off what she was saying as she was interrupted by the slam of the front door. Iruka had come in and was giving off an extremely miffed aura. The dozen or so shinobi around the room all looked up for a moment before returning to their conversation. It was rare for a ninja to ever made that much noise unless is was on purpose. . . well that or they were Uzumaki Naruto.

He stalked over to Anko's desk staring a hole right through Kakashi. The jounin put a hand to the back of his head and put on his most winning smile. Alas, its effect was hindered by his choice of facial attire. He was surprised nonetheless when Iruka completely ignored him and started off conversation with Anko.

"Ohayou Anko-san."

"Ohayou Iruka," she replied neutrally.

"Just thought I'd let you know I'm covering the summer cram class for Ino-sensei this morning. I know I'm rarely called for missions, but for protocol I wanted to make sure I stopped by."

Anko looked at him and briefly at Kakashi before responding.

"Domo, Iruka."

The conversation ended and turned into an uncomfortable silence. The pause lengthened until Iruka finally addressed him. The academy teacher's voice was icy and he refused to turn and actually look at the jounin while speaking.

"So, did you enjoy the show this morning?" said Iruka acidly.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed a little in obvious confusion. _"Well, I guess he recognized me," _he thought, "_This has to be a trick question."_ The jounin chose to go with the shy, yet honest approach.

"Umm... yes?"

Crimson flooded the sensei's face as he gritted his teeth. With a groan of muted rage he spun away to exit out the side door toward where the academy building lay.

Kakashi exhaled with relief.

"At least he didn't scream at me," said the copy ninja.

"What do you mean by that Kakashi?"

Damn, he had forgotten about Anko.

"Oh nothing at all," he said cheerfully with a of his wave his hand. "What was my assignment again?"

Anko's heart-shaped face lit up with a mischievous glow. "Oh no Kakashi, you're going to spill the beans on this one. I want to know what happened between you and Iruka-kun."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. "I see, Iruka-kun?"

"Tell me or you'll be getting solo D rank missions for a month," threatened Anko.

He threw his hands up in mock surrender.

"Let's just say that my morning routine and his sort of crossed paths."

Anko leaned back on her chair balancing on the back two legs. She rocked back and forth considering what he had said. The wheels of her mind trying to dissect his nonchalant statement down to its juicy core.

Kakashi did not appreciate the attention. He contemplated giving the table a quick shove while she was perched precariously on the chair like that. If all went well, she would get knocked senseless by the fall backwards. It would look like an accident. Tsunade could heal practically anything. It was the perfect plan.

"Ah-hah!" yelled Anko falling forward to jump up and lean crossed the table, "You got caught peeping!"

He cursed himself for not acting on his idea to put her in a coma sooner._ "I always hesitated at the wrong times," _he chided himself silently.

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling and replied with a laugh. "Your imagination is very impressive Anko. You should write mystery novels."

"Looks much better with his clothes off doesn't he?" she said slyly.

It was Kakashi's turn to now stare at her with suspicion. "How would you know?" he said.

Anko gave him a look of triumph. "Simple. Iruka and I were academy grads the same year and we were genin at the same time too. Different teams mind you, but we did enter and pass the Chuunin exam together."

The scarecrow scratched his head thoughtfully. "You've been a Jounin specialist for eight years now? When did you?"

Anko folded her arms under her cleavage in annoyance. "Not everyone was genius freak-of-nature like you Kakashi, I was fifteen when I passed Chuunin. It was during that very exam in fact." She scooted down off the table to resume her seat in the chair. She had a very pleased expression on her face, very much like a cat that had just caught something and swallowed it before their owner could see.

"I consider him to be one of my more delicious conquests." She was almost purring.

Kakashi was intrigued. "You deflowered Iruka during the exam!" he said.

Anko's mood shifted like lightning and she gave him a sour look.

"I'm suddenly tired of gossiping" she responded brusquely. "Here," she said tossing a sealed scroll at him, "that is a message from the Hokage to the ministry of finance in the western capital. You have exactly two days to report back. Next!"

He studied her for a moment before coming to the conclusion that it was a hopeless task to squeeze more out of her. Delaying too long already he set out to complete the new mission.

He wasn't sure why he cared so much about Iruka's romantic past, but his mind couldn't help replay this morning's events over and over again. Infatuation was something he hadn't felt for a long time. He was so distracted; he didn't even remember to go back for his book as he passed out the village gates.

TO BE CONTINUED

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	3. Angels

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter Three - Angels

Shikamaru walked into the ninja administration building and found himself near collision with an angry and distracted looking Iruka-sensei. Lurching to the side, he barely managed to sidestep the man as he trudged off to towards the academy.

"Geez, what's his problem?" he wondered. He still felt a little weird at being able to look his old sensei in the eye. At eighteen years old, his most recent (and probably final) growth spurt last winter had brought him about level with his former teacher.

_"Go figure and I'm one of the smaller guys,"_ he mused.

He strolled into the lounge area wondering if there was any tea left over from the morning cafeteria spread when he spotted Neji walking towards him with a quick step.

"Oh, crap!" he exhaled.

He turned around to exit the building fast when the he heard the annoying guy called his name.

"Ah, Shikamaru! There you are!"

He gazed longingly at the door and it's promise of escape before composing himself. Wiping away the rictus of pain on his face he turned back to approaching ninja with the closest thing he could come up with resembling a smile.

Hyuuga Neji was slightly taller than Shikamaru with a wiry, lithe physique similar to hi and yet that was where their commonality ended. With his bloodline ability, Neji was a frighteningly deadly being whom he couldn't hope to match one-on-one in a fight. He also happened to have turned into an anal retentive freak since their genin days, which is what made their ridiculous little interactions that much harder to stomach.

"Ohayo, Neji."

Neji smiled his proper polite little smile and started right into "the conversation" or at least that's what Shikamaru termed it in his head. For whatever reason it seemed to burn a lot of people, including Neji, that he had become Chuunin way before a lot of other people his age. Not that he really cared. Personally he didn't even want the stupid job, but it had made his parents so proud and it ate at him to think of disappointing them. Somehow he just got stuck doing this.

"Of course," he thought, "they didn't have to go and make me a field captain too."

Neji didn't become chuunin until over a year after him and his first field assignment as a captain was less than a year ago. Eager as always, he began talking with a gleam in his pale eye.

"Our team just got back clearing out the bandit gang in the Pine Ridge Region. We captured 83 prisoners and escorted them to the prefectural prison in Wa without any backup."

"Oh, really, you don't say."

Shikamaru was still scanning the breakfast table near the couches. It appeared picked clean and the teapots had distinctly empty look. It was not going to be a good day he decided. He gave into Neji hoping it would end quickly.

"Wa prefecture?" he said politely. "That's over 20 miles away from the Pine Ridge region, right?"

"Yes, it is," said Neji thrilled that his rival had pointed out the utter obvious. "I captured their leader myself. He was an escaped-nin from Hidden Mist Village, very dangerous. In fact, the Hokage has arranged for him to be turned over to the Water Country. Their hunter-nin should be arriving in a day or two."

Shikamaru really hoped this was therapeutic for Hyuuga's inferiority complex. He didn't understand how a guy so bloody powerful could even be this way to begin with. Tenten and Lee said he wasn't like this at all when they were younger. Sakura seemed know something about it though, not that he cared enough ask her. Shikamaru gave Neji a friendly parting nod and strolled over to dispatch desk when he heard him clearing his throat.

_"Not today, not today!"_ he groaned inwardly _"I really can't take part two of 'the conversation' right now."_

"How is your team doing?" the pain-in-the-butt nin asked with a zeal he couldn't suppress.

The low key shadow ninja tried to end it quickly. "Oh, pretty good. We complete our missions. You know how it is."

"Your last was an escort right, some woman merchant who sold... wool?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru corrected, "Uh. It was salt."

"Ah yes, salt."

Neji's smile became slightly twisted. "Well, I suppose they give you missions like that because of your team's make up. Kunoichi are good for those types of missions."

Shikamaru felt his pleasant façade deteriorate. He had had enough of this for one morning. He considered the fact his team was made exclusively of women to be a matter of great misunderstanding between him and some unnamed higher power.

Whatever. Neji's little game was going too far.

"You know your absolutely right, Neji. In fact, I heard about this demon eel they said that was terrorizing the hot springs over in Ume. I think I'll ask if my team can have that mission. You know it sounds A-ranked!"

"A-ranked," Neji said uneasily. "You sure you. . . I mean, can your team handle it?"

The bait taken, Shikamaru felt no need to disguise the venom in his tone.

"Oh you know! I figured it's perfect for them, a one huge slippery eel, and all that hot steamy liquid. Three girls in a pool wrestling the thing, plus all those moans and squeals, you should come to watch Neji! I'll make sure you get a great view of Sakura as she tries to ride the thing bareback."

Neji's face was the appropriate purplish mix of shock, indignation and embarrassment as Shikamaru turned back towards assignments where Anko sat waiting.

"Ohayo, Anko-sama." he said politely.

"Ah if it isn't the "Shadow Genius" himself, "replied Anko. "I have a note about you from the Hokage. Where did I put that?"

He scowled at her. He did not appreciate the crappy nickname or that fact she kept using it whenever she saw him. He really hated that.

As Anko shuffled papers his mind wandered back to this time a year ago when the current four member Chuunin teams were selected by Tsunade-sama.

In a Ninja Village, while jounin handled the special high profile jobs and the genin got all the easy, labor-intensive stuff. The core business of B and higher-level C missions (which frankly were just Bs at a discount) were managed on the shoulders of the chuunin teams formed and reassigned every year.

He had been selected to be a squad leader again last year and as he stood there resigned to his fate in the Hokage's office, he had never in a million years expected his luck. Aoba the Jounin in charge of all the middle-ranked ninja had run down the roles very quickly.

He recalled being sort sad when he heard Choji's name called for Hyuuga's team and he even had a slight pang of regret when Naruto was also called for Neji and not him. Kiba, still a lunatic, had rounded out their strong looking team nicely. As the Jounin rattled names off Shikamaru became a little shocked he hadn't heard his name yet. Looking around the room he realized that most of the younger shinobi there were already assigned.

_"They don't usually assign older chuunin to a young captain," _he thought,_ "how odd."_

Hearing his name finally set his nerves on edge and he failed to pretend disinterest at who would be called to work under him. Tenten was only a slight shock. She seemed capable, levelheaded, and heck one girl wasn't bad. Hinata being next was a surprise, but he quickly grasped the situation. He and Neji were the only new captains. Given that their bloodline skills were in essence the same and with their personal problems, well she just had to be with him.

".and Haruno Sakura," said Aoba finishing the roll.

Shikamaru had felt sweat breaking out all across his forehead. Minus the Hokage there were only four women ninja in the entire room and now three were on his team.

This was all a sadistic joke. He needed air.

As they were dismissed he threaded his way forward toward the Hokage's desk. She would have to see her error. Aoba emerged out of nowhere and had grabbed his arm pulling him back before he could open his mouth.

"All assignments are final," Aoba said. His voice took a mechanical tone, "As a rookie captain, I suggest you acquaint yourself with your team before your first mission is given out tomorrow."

Shikamaru felt close to tears. He began pleading faintly, "I understand sir, but come on."

"Dismissed."

It was hopeless. Shikamaru had turned dejectedly to see the three girls hanging by the door waiting for him. They looked like a bunch of girl scouts. That is, well, deceptively lethal girl scouts. He remembered their attitudes for that first day, a mix of uncertainty and irritation. Who would ever guess that after a year' s tour of duty together they and he would request the team remain intact.

Anko, was yelling something at him he realized.

"Wake up Nara!"

"Yes, Anko-sama?"

Anko, who had grown quite pink, exhaled slowly at a reverse ten count. It was rumored that a medical ninja at her last exam had ordered her to practice anger management after her blood pressure came in extraordinarily high. The jounin appeared to be giving the doctorly advice her best try and the rookie captain honored her effort with a perfectly straight face till she was ready to talk again.

"3...2...1... O-kay." she said in a slightly calmer tone. "You are to report to the Hokage for your mission at 1300 hours. Standby with your team till then... Next!"

He walked out of the building taking his time. It was noon in summer and the heat was just starting to pick up. The buzz of the cicadas seemed only to punctuate its soporific effect.

_"No need to sweat unless I have to,"_ he thought as he stretched the leisurely five minute walk around building to the chuunin lounge into sluggish fifteen. As he went indoors he noticed the large waiting room was mostly empty, its long tables and benches vacated as most teams were already on duty.

Three kunoichi were still there sitting together towards the middle of the lounge. The one with pigtails wound into round buns atop her head saw him first and gave a big wave in greeting and then held up a teapot pointing to it with a smile.

_"They know me too well,"_ he thought.

In fact, he couldn't help, but smile and wave back. The other shy-looking brunette and the pink-haired girl both turn towards him with welcoming nods as he sat to join them.

"It could be worse," he told himself. "Ino could be the jealous type."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *


	4. Glasses

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter 4 - Glasses

Ino was in a carefree mood as she walked to the academy for her afternoon class. Earlier at the flower shop her mom had been such a pill. She had immediately noticed Ino's good humor after her breakfast with Shikamaru and began asking all those delicate parental questions that were as subtle as hammers.

"So how is your boyfriend?...Good! What did you guys do this morning?... Really?... Is there anything I should know about?...Hmm... It's never a good idea to rush things... You are being safe right? When I was your age I would think..."

Ino had to threaten the entire crop of Konoha orchids with a metal rake to get her to stop.

Now that she was "older" their relationship had changed. Her mom was more like a friend in a lot of ways and Ino cherished that, no really she did, but the roundabout conversations about safe sex had to be put to a stop.

Today though, even her mother's tactlessness couldn't put her in a bad mood, especially with the orchids so close to bloom. A rare night-blooming flower, Konoha Orchids were given by the Yamanakas as an oseibo gift to every unmarried girl in the village at the Firenight Festival. Her father said it was how the family gave back to the village for a year of faithful patronage. She loved doing it.

The entire family would mix up vegetable dyes and wait up the night before to watch the flowers open and then careful highlight the creamy pale blossoms with vibrant reds, purples, yellows and blues. No two flowers were ever the same. All the young women would clamor at their stall at the festival. They would all be desperate to find that perfect flower to match their kimono and look irresistibly for that special someone. Membership certainly had its privileges and Ino would make sure to get the perfect one for herself before the rush.

_"It will be a bright blue with yellow slashes. Maybe even a little purple along the edges," she thought. "Shikamaru won't be able to take his eyes off me and then he will say..."_

She broke out into spontaneous squeals of delight as she brought her hands to her mouth to muffle them. Feeling eyes on her she turned to see Mr. Tanaka, their local butcher with a side of beef pausing in mid-chop to stare at her through his shop window. Embarrassed, she waved at him good-naturedly before quickening her pace again.

_"I am definitely reliving twelve all over again," she thought to herself._

She entered the small yard that stood in front of the Academy. The lone tree in the front of the entrance always seemed a little sad in the summers. Its swing sitting idle but for the passing breeze until classes resumed after August.

Classroom 6-B was empty when she got there, which was strange because at least some of the kids usually got there early. She sat at the desk and went to open the drawer where she kept her lesson plan when the door burst open. A nin dressed in the classic green pants and flak jacket of the Leaf shinobi entered. He was young looking, but an old thin scar bridged his nose giving him a sense of maturity to match. Despite the mark Ino would still have killed to have his otherwise blemish free complexion.

"Ino! There you are." Iruka said.

"Iruka-sensei. Do you know where my class is?" she asked.

Iruka made a face she knew too well after being both his pupil and understudy. The man truly loved his vocation of working with children, but his temper always seemed a little too lightning quick for her taste. Still he never held a grudge against any child and would always give the troublesome type some often needed positive reinforcement to go with his stern lectures.

"Yes," he said. "Those two troublemakers in your class Ryoji and the Inuzuka boy..."

"Tsume," she filled in recognizing Kiba's kid brother.

"Tsume...brought a snake into the classroom and the three girls you have wouldn't stop crying till I let them all leave. I took them over to room 3-A on the other side of the school." He started to look under tables. "It should still be in here somewhere… "

Ino heard a slight rustle of paper coming from inside her desk. She opened the bottom drawer carefully before calmly extracting its new and sleepy looking resident. Spotted grass snakes were nighttime hunters of squirrels and mice. As small reptiles that killed their prey by constriction and were completely harmless to humans.

She grabbed her lesson notes from the top drawer and along with the snake who appeared to settle on her arm for the ride and started out to roundup her class. The situation well in hand she and her mentor walked out to the hallway.

"I think I have it under control now, arigato sensei."

"Iie, no worries, Ino. You are a wonderful teacher, " he commended her, before turned abruptly away towards his office.

_"He still seems angry about something," _she thought as she followed him out to the hallway.

"Iruka sensei, is everything ok?"

He turned back to her with a forced grin. "Oh no! Nothing I just had a bad morning is all."

She nodded and turned to go when he interrupted her departure with his own question.

"Ino, what do you know about Hatake Kakashi," he asked trying far too hard to seem casual about it.

She looked at him curiously, then not wanting to scare him away gave him the honest and straightforward answer.

"He's an amazingly strong jounin and he was also Sakura's genin sensei. I know she respects him a lot. The Hokage holds him in confidence as well. I'm not sure what Naruto's opinion is of him, but then you know how Sasuke feels about him." She watched Iruka gaze off to ponder her comments.

She was too inquisitive for her own good. She had to see.

Ino's tone became slightly saccharine. "I hear he's gorgeous too, but no one's ever seen him without his mask. Iruka-sensei, have you ever seen what he looks like under all that?"

"No!" he snapped back. "I don't care what he looks like either."

The first traces of blush inched onto the headmaster's face as he spun away to leave. Ino could still hear him muttering about "loose morals" before he disappeared around the corner.

She grinned.

_"I'm not sure what exactly happened, but if it looks like what I think it looks like, then it would do him a world of good," _she thought._ "And If it all worked out there would be almost an entire age demographic of Konoha women who would be seriously heartbroken. Iruka would probably need round the clock protection."_

Ino was highly entertained by caddy thoughts of shonen-ai as she wandered out to the cross the central yard to 3-A on the other side. The academy's structure was laid out like a large square frame which surrounded a large grassy space. This was where outdoor practice and training took place. The targets and equipment that normally dotted its expanse were gone today, away in sheds and clubhouses till next term.

However it was far from empty.

There in the middle of the yard was a shirtless young man who moved swiftly in the performance of martial arts style Ino recognized quite well. He was a flurry of movement as he slid from stance to stance, strike to counter, making it look more like a beautiful dance than one of the Leaf's most powerful taijutsu. A hint if metal flashed from his right leg where he now kept his forehead protector tied on his long dark blue pants. She watched his training in candid admiration. To see such a display of grace and power no one would ever believe him to be less than a jounin, yet his rank was the same as hers.

She walked slowly towards him, knowing he was near the end of his routine. Finishing in a ready stance he began to wipe away the sweat from his bare forehead and bent to pick up his plain blue jacket, unadorned and long sleeved, even in this heat.

Brushing the dead grass off it, he turned to her with a welcoming smile.

"Konichiwa, Ino"

Ino watched him as be put the jacket back on. He was still one of the most stunning men she had ever seen. Though no taller than Shikamaru, his proportions were such that you never cared to note his lack of height. His powerful body rippled with the smooth muscles that seemed carved on him. His torso was an artist's masterpiece with the lone exception of a strange and ugly marking on the side of his neck. His dark hair was so long now that it was tied back loosely in a simple tail that hung down his back. Finished dressing he stooped again to recover the final piece of his disguise, the wire-rimmed glasses he now needed all time.

He said he found it to be very ironic, an Uchiha who needed glasses.

She smiled back cheerily.

"Hey Sasuke!"

Ino was the closest thing he had left to a friend in the village. Besides her and Rock Lee, no one really talked to him since everything had happened now four years ago. Well no one else, that is, except Sakura, but there was so much there with that one it was impossible to define the relationship. Of course, Ino felt tragic masochism was one of her best friend's most defining features.

Even now Ino only knew the tiniest bits of information. Sasuke had left quietly in the middle of the night when they were still rookies. A search party had been formed and set out immediately. It had included Naruto, Shikamaru and some other genin. A couple days passed and they returned back without fanfare, but Sasuke had been rushed immediately to the Hokage.

When he was finally released and allowed to return to his home two pieces of information were quickly circulated in the village. First that Uchiha Sasuke was never to leave the village again on pain of death and second he had lost the ability to use chakra and along with use of his blood limit technique, the Sharingan.

The longhaired ninja noticed her little companion and gently extracted it from Ino's forearm.

"Is this the demon snake that I saw your class fleeing from earlier?" he asked wryly. The little serpent slid to twine itself around Sasuke's arm. Oddly, it seemed to be enjoying all the attention.

"Yup. Can you put it back in the bushes somewhere the kids won't find it again. I'm already late."

"Sure. In fact, I'll ask Lee to take it outside the village when he comes. He should be here shortly."

"Thanks for handling that," she said meaning the reptile. "Jaa."

She walked towards the classroom that was her students' refuge as she stepped up to the covered walkway that lined the yard. The students all popped their heads out of the window calling to her.

"Ino-sensei!"

"Ino-sensei did you get the snake?"

"Hai, hai"

"Ino-sensei! Can Onii-chan teach us today too?" asked a little boy who wore the hood of his sweatshirt up all the time. Goro, the small white puppy with a lone patch of dark hair surrounding his left left sat on the boy's head was his constant companion.

"No, Tsume. Sasuke-sensei needs to see the head of the Hokage's personal guard for more training. You'll see him tomorrow for shuriken practice."

"Don't you think he's pretty, sensei?" observed the pale little girl Kaede at the end. Her voice was like a loud whisper.

"You're stupid," snapped Ryoji. "Boys can't be pretty, Sasuke-nii is wicked cool, ne?" He looked to the other boys who gave quick nods of agreement.

A small gender war began to erupt when Ino took charge.

"Ok, class! Talk won't learn jutsu, everyone in your seats. Now!"

Ino opened the door to her classroom and stole a glance back at her childhood crush. Rock Lee was there now standing talking with Sasuke. It still seemed odd to see them so friendly with each other and training together almost everyday. Lee to his credit had never hesitated in agreeing to help Sasuke master the spinning leaf style, but then his great compassion was one the things that defined his standing in the village.

Lee, to no one's surprise, looked the spitting image of Maito Gai. Gai left a great impression on Lee-san and now the young man carried on his way of life. Since Gai's tragic death over two years ago his emulation no longer seemed peculiar to the village in fact now people viewed him as an honorable shinobi of great character.

When Lee had made chuunin many were shocked at Tsunade-sama's choice of him for a bodyguard, yet Ino had understood immediately. After she had healed his horrible injuries from that first test the Hokage and her patient had developed a special bond. There were jounin stronger than him, but none had the trust she and Rock Lee shared. The Hokage also said she liked a man who could take a strong punch and give as good back in return.

She enjoyed working with Sasuke she realized walking into school. He was great with the students and seemed truly concerned with their education. His demeanor from their rookie days was gone and if anything he seemed mild-mannered now. The old Sasuke was just a faint memory. All in all, Ino felt more comfortable with him now than she had ever felt before.

Not that she'd ever tell Shikamaru that, unlike her he was clearly the jealous type.

Ino entered to begin the lesson just as her "problem" children were, well...causing problems.

"Akane, put Goro down!"

"But sensei you said he was a weapon."

"Yes the Inuzuka clan uses dogs as ninja weapons, but that doesn't mean you can take Tsume's dog and hit him with it."

"Hai, sensei."

"Goro, Goro! daijoubu!"

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *


	5. Listening and Talking

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter 5 – Listening and Talking

Hinata joined in with her teammates to greet their captain as he entered the chuunin lounge at the ninja administration building. Sitting at one of the long cafeteria-style tables that dotted the room she watched him slump onto the bench across from her. Wordlessly, Shikamaru laid his face down between his elbows on the cool faux-wood grain surface and his hands draped themselves over the back of his neck like drooping swans. He looked pretty pathetic.

The women exchanged concerned looks. Hinata reached over and placed the back of her hand against his temple. Her own heightened senses had been honed to an even finer skill after two years training as the team's medical ninja.

"No fever, no poison." she told them.

Tenten grabbed a clean teacup from the center of the table and quickly poured some of the tea she had saved for him. Placing the cup in front of his head, they all watched in mild amusement as he grasped blindly for the cup and resurrected himself to enjoy its lukewarm contents. With the clean bill of health from Hinata, Tenten immediately started to tease on him on her favorite topic, his love life.

"So did Ino kicked you out of the bed again? What did I tell you about that Shikamaru?"

"I don't think that's it all, " Sakura chimed in devilishly. "He usually looks like he ate something sour when that happens. This is definitely something else."

He found their relationship an odd one. Sakura and Ino were still best friends and with the changes in respective life goals their competition had mellowed into a solid bond. It also meant half of everything he said to Sakura got back to his girlfriend, but that had its uses too.

"Maybe the opposite happened?" said Hinata with a note of wonder in her naturally timid voice. "Did Ino-san's fiery passion wear you out last night, squad leader?"

The whole table erupted into laughter

As far as Shikamaru was concerned, one of the best changes in Hinata since their genin days was the unveiling of her wry sense of humor. He wiped a tear from his eye as he composed himself to respond. It was too hard to be in a bad mood around them.

After another small sip from his cup he replied, "No, I merely had a run-in with Sakura's boyfriend this morning."

Confusion crept onto the pink-haired girl' s face.

Tenten looked at her and immediately clarified. "He means Neji."

"Oh! What did he want?" she asked looking relieved.

"Damned if I can figure him out," he said dismissively. He was already annoyed with himself for mentioning it. He should of lied and said that it was Ino after all.

Tenten had morphed on cue into "older sister" mode and started her laundry list . "He's just jealous, "she lectured. "You have been very successful since your promotion almost two years before him. You are considered an invaluable asset by the Hokage. We've completed just as many missions as his band of trained gorillas..."

"Extremely powerful trained gorillas," he inserted.

"... we are a lot cuter than his team, and... we dress you better!"

He turned to look at her with slight puzzlement and as he emptied the contents of his teacup. "Tenten, you don't "dress" me."

"Not yet," she said sweetly "I have Sakura working on Ino to change that."

Sakura became wide-eyed. Throwing her hands up, she shook her head in a frantic wordless denial as her team leader was suddenly making a rather scary face.

"Ok Men!" he said slamming his fist on the table for emphasis. "It's almost 1300 hours and we are getting today's mission directly from the Hokage."

They all stood to leave and took no more than two steps towards the exit when he added,

"But first! I need to take a leak."

The women watched their fearless leader wander off to the men's room and sat back down at the table.

"Do you think he has a bladder problem?" Tenten asked.

"It's his love of tea drinking," Hinata replied as professional.

Sakura waved them off. "I'm used to this, Naruto used have to go every five minutes."

"Well something's don't change, Sakura-chan."

They all got silent as out of the same hallway Shikamaru had just gone down, emerged Sakura's old teammate, Uzumaki Naruto.

The blond ninja whom she had spent her genin days with had changed dramatically in the last couple of years. The short runty nin with the nasal voice was completely gone. In his place was this person about the same height as her genin sensei and was maybe even a little broader in the shoulders than Kakashi. He was muscular and kind of dangerous looking now with only the last shreds of lankiness that a boy on the verge of manhood had. The orange jacket had been discarded and in its place he wore a black leather trench from which he had cut off the sleeves. It was so he could display the leaf symbol tattoo he wore proudly on this left upper arm, which he could get away with because he had the arms for it now. Even his voice sounded unfamiliar as its whiny quality disappeared to make way for a light, pleasant sounding baritone.

"Hi, Naruto." she said suddenly unsure of herself.

As if Naruto could sense her discomfort he nodded politely to her two companions and with a purposeful stride headed towards the doors leading outside. Tenten shot an encouraging glance at Hinata who scooted off to catch him before he left. At least her feelings certainly hadn't changed with time.

"Wow, he really does look like the Fourth." Tenten said watching with satisfaction as an animated Hinata flirted with a seemingly receptive Naruto. "You turned that boy down almost everyday for five years straight, but chose to go out with Neji for couple months after he asked you once?"

Sakura's sighed. She really didn't want to rehash her own messed up personal life. "It's complicated Tenten. Let it go." Poking fun at Shikamaru who was well along the road to lifelong bliss with her best friend was one thing. Her own sordid tale did not need such scrutiny.

Tenten's voice softened as she placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I guess now that I'm nearly married, I live a little vicariously through you and Hinata, komen. I just want you to be happy."

Sakura gave her a smile of forgiveness as Hinata was practically bouncing back to them after her chance to see Naruto.

"Naruto's team is going out on another bandit cleanup mission, but he said he wants to see me when he gets back," Hinata told her teammates excitedly. Tenten, the eternal matchmaker, couldn't help, but break out in a self- satisfied smile.

Sakura was stilled amazed at the arrangement, even after all this time. Hinata and Naruto had been secretly dating for over a year. It had started right after Hinata got back from Sand Country where she passed her Chuunin with her and Choji.

She and Sakura had become close friends during the test and at Sakura's suggestion Hinata started practically living at Ichiraku ramen shop. It was the number one guaranteed method for holding Naruto's attention and secret rendezvous after dinner had soon followed for the couple.

The reason for the secret part had to do with the Hyuga clan's policy on "controlled" breeding, which still made Sakura a little ill to think about.

Hinata though still a member of the Souke was now completely shunned by her father and "brother". To make matters even stranger the main branch had conveniently adopted Neji from the Bunke as the heir-apparent after he made chuunin captain. It was now his job to approve of any man she married and it was also his right to adopt from her any of her children he wanted.

"Neji's got a good heart," Sakura thought, "but since Hiashi's adopted him, he's gotten so harsh with people again. I really hope he wakes up soon for his and her sake."

Sakura had actually enjoyed dating him for the brief period they were together. He could be sweet and very romantic. It was a release from her on- going "not" relationship with the member of another certain blood limit clan. She had a nasty breakup with Neji just recently however due to his absorption into the main branch. Neji had started to talk all the time about getting her "approved" by the clan.

Sakura shivered involuntarily again.

Shikamaru emerged from the same hallway Naruto had minutes earlier. He was all business and went straight out the door. They all followed him outside ready to scale the six stories to the Hokage's office on top of the building.

The working office for Tsunade-sama was different from the Hokage's official office and residence on the ground floor. With no stairs or ladders only ninja possessed the ability to even reach it. Tsunade enjoyed this fact even more when she was having a difference of opinion with the village elders who could no longer climb such heights easily. She was on bad terms with them on almost a constant basis so she seemed to live there most the time.

Shikamaru's team landed on the open porch in front of the door. He knocked and then politely entered the office with the women. The Hokage was at her desk piled high with papers, pens and kunai. She smiled brightly at the them. The room's other occupant leaning casually on the windowsill of the office' only natural light source made some room on his roost as Tenten walked over to join him.

Shikamaru nodded his head in greeting towards Lee as Tenten joined him.

Other than the natural effects of age, Rock Lee looked exactly like he did as a genin. Right down to those crazy weighted leg warmers. The couple had been serious for a while and it was almost a year since their official engagement had started.

"Tenten wants a fall wedding," Sakura remembered.

Rock Lee and Tenten exhibited a comfort with each other that few couples their age possessed and Sakura had to admit a small jealousy on some level. She had never returned Lee's feelings and seeing them together made her regret that slightly.

"I'm just feeling sorry for myself," she chided mentally.

Lee spoke quietly with Tenten then exited the room for them to have privacy. Tsunade got up and walked around the front of her desk and leaned back to sit against it before addressing them.

She teased, "Shikamaru you really don't appreciate what a cute team you have!"

Her warm smile taking them all in, you'd never know she was an old hag near sixty given her age-defying talents. She continued with her doting, which Shikamaru would have told her he could do without.

"So ladies are you taking good care of my top strategist?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," they replied in unison.

That annoyed Shikamaru too. They always behaved in front of her. It made him look argumentative and grouchy. He just had to put up with it, he guessed.

He understood that Tsunade favored his squad above many of the others and gave them missions that while often appearing standard or even easy from the outside were usually complicated with some reconnaissance or political significance. She had candidly explained her view to him once early in their work.

"If I want something blown up I give it Neji and Naruto. If I want something handled delicately then you're the team I call on."

Regardless, he had no use for taking up time with small talk. He had to keep them all on topic or they would start talk about him or something else he didn't care about.

"So what's up? Anko said you need to give us the mission personally," Shikamaru said crossing his arms.

Tsunade adjusted her tone. She obviously wanted to get down to business as well. "What do you know about the ruins the mining survey team recently found over in Nagayama near the western border?"

Shikamaru was about to say he didn't know much when Sakura responded first. She was still a teacher's pet in a lot of ways, but her book knowledge came in handy on quite a few occasions.

"They are from the late Kii dynasty, right? The fall of that empire was what led to the time of troubles and the emergence of the Five Countries as they appear now. It was said the daimyos of Kii declared themselves emperors near the end and took direct control of the military away from the clan leaders."

"Correct, Sakura. They controlled almost as much land as the Five Countries do now combined, but their greed is what history says drove them to collapse and civil war. The birth of the separation between the military under the Kages and the ruling class in each country came about from that tragedy."

Shikamaru was already tired from the history lesson, he was really hoping this mission wasn't an overnighter. He wanted to see Ino for dinner at least once this week.

"What exactly do you want us to do, again? " he asked.

His perturb was ignored as the Hokage asked her next question.

"What is the most powerful jutsu ninja have?"

This time Tenten answered. "That's an easy one, Hokage-sama. Summoning jutsu are the most powerful. Only a couple ninja in any village can perform them and the contracts with the different youma are closely guarded. The Sennin were famous for one reason because you each went out and gained a contract with different guardian."

"Thank you, Tenten. My point captain is this," she said addressing his rude question finally. "The Kii'shu were great priests and sorcerers and many of the summoning contracts that exist in the world were created through their ability."

She got up and walked back around to sit at her desk again. They all waited sensing she would continue her explanation.

"The destruction of the Kii capital was caused when they attempted to force an extremely powerful youma into a contract that it didn't want. This same youma is also the one who plagued the Leaf up until eighteen years ago."

A small pause let her words sink in.

"Kyuubi destroyed an empire, Tsunade-sama?" asked Hinata in slight awe. It made them all wonder again what exactly was that thing inside Naruto was and how safe it was for him and the village in general. They had only been told about his condition after they became chuunin and it still took some getting used too.

"Yes," she continued leaning forward on her desk, her smile had more of a predatory gleam to it. "The site in Nagayama is a royal cemetery and I believe that some dangerous summoning contracts could be buried out there. I need you to go search the place carefully. Bring me back anything and everything that looks suspicious."

The girls turned to leave when they realized Shikamaru stayed facing Tsunade and fixing her with a hard stare.

"Do you expect we will meet up with trouble?" he said, not waiting for an answer. "All this bandit activity in the west came out of nowhere and given some of the unrest we heard about in Lightning Country. I wound have to say this all just stinks of the Sound."

Tsunade beamed at him pleased he had caught on so quickly.

"That's why I expect you to get their first, Shikamaru-kun!"

Getting the answer he expected he turn to leave with his team.

"Sheesh, I hate pet names from obaasans, too."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *


	6. Snakes and Salamanders

A/N: FYI, I am the unfortunate victim of two weeks of intensive Japanese language study. If I am butchering certain words/phrases please let me know!

This is the start of the action, so I hope y'all don't mind the change of pace. I will get back to the relationship fest soon.

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter Six - Snakes and Salamanders 

The trip through Fire Country to Nagayama was an uneventful one for Shikamaru's team and he was thankful for that. According to their orders from the Hokage, they were to try and reach the Kii ruins before anything was taken. It mean that every minute potentially counted in the race to the site. They could have come upon the largest bandit camp in the history of Konoha and would have been forced to pass it by without a second thought. Rotating with Sakura for the point position he and his team threaded their way among the tree branches in the dense sea-like forest which most of Fire Country was made of.

On the Fire Country's western border, Nagayama was a sparsely populated area that had a low mountain range running through it north to south. They were more like large hills really. The zone sat between Fire and Wind from the southern coastline up to the north border with the smaller Grass and Rain villages. It was a rocky terrain that had hundreds of small passes, ravines, winding rivers and dry valleys. With no claim to it, Nagayama was a lawless place. The land was so poor in fact that neither Leaf nor Sand bothered with it. It acted as a natural buffer between their two nations and being a no man's land, many criminals and rogue shinobi would attempt to hide there. This meant hunter-nins also regularly passed through it to flush out their bounties.

As the trees thinned the leaf ninja were forced out of the canopy and onto the ground to continue their journey. Their wariness rose as the destination neared.

Shikamaru stopped running and raised his left hand in the air to signal a break. They had reached a group of boulders in a clearing. The largest of the stones had the swirling leaf symbol carved upon it, marking the end of the Fire Lands. His teammates came slowly to join him. Each choosing a different rock they sat facing outward in loose circle ready for any interruption. The nins soundlessly broke out their packs of food and took long, slow sips from their canteens.

A ninja could travel through Konoha no Kuni (Country of the Leaf) in only three days, but it was at a grueling pace. The area they were now entering had no steady source of clean water and no easy ways to gather food. Knowing this they all made sure to leave some provisions left for the return trip.

Tenten was the first to break the party's silence. She spoke softly to Sakura who was closest to her among the group.

"Lee is so funny," she began lightheartedly."Do you know he asked me if you were feeling alright?" She paused to look away. "He said. . .he said you looked tired and said to remind you not to overtrain yourself. " Catching Sakura's gaze she smiled briefly before breaking eye contact again. "That's sure the pot calling the kettle, isn't it?"

Sakura became embarrassed. Lee had been so infatuated with her when they were kids and while never showing interest in that way, she considered him a good friend. Still his attention, no matter how innocent after all this time, had to bother his fiancé. Sakura felt bad all of the sudden.

"Tenten, I, uh..."

"Don't worry about it, " the older woman said cutting Sakura off. "I don't know why I mentioned it like that. I must be getting worn out by the pace you and Shikamaru are setting, ne?"

The conversation forcibly ended as they went back to packing up and checking their gear.

Sakura hated that.

She despised the awkwardness she felt with most of the other women. Both guys on Tenten's team had liked her. Lee had been very persistent and she had even dated Neji for a while. The boys on her own team were her property too in their own way. Naruto had stopped asking her out eventually, but she never really felt he had ever stopped loving her. He just got good at burying it. Sasuke never said he cared for anyone let alone her,. but there were moments. Brief, fleeting, almost imagined moments when he did seem to care, where the actions did not match the words. Sakura had held fiercely onto those.

She glanced up to see Hinata carefully packing away her things with that delicate and precise hand of hers. Sakura cherished her newfound closeness with the quiet, lavender-eyed girl. On the trip back from the Sand Village chuunin exam which they both passed Sakura had vowed to not mess up another female friendship. She had avoided Naruto persistently for the past couple months. While it wasn't easy, she just couldn't handle that pained look from another woman. The jealousy of someone who pursued a man whose attention she held.

Shikamaru called an end to the break and they continued at a slower pace toward one of the taller hills in view to scan the lay of the land. They crossed a ravine and climbed the loose grave path that wound up the slope. A Konoha ninja never felt one hundred percent once they were out of the trees. The forest far behind them seemed to almost be calling for them to return home.

At the summit Shikamaru shielded his eyes in the light of the late day sun.

"Hinata," he asked, "can you look out a little to the north for me and they back directly west? Our goal should be one or two miles in that direction."

She formed the multiple seals for the Byakugan in a heartbeat and with her jutsu she gazed where he had directed. She carefully looked around until she discovered something she thought maybe of use.

"I can see some old looking piles of stone and some broken walls three hills over about a mile away. A lot of it looks uncovered already, " she informed them.

Shikamaru grimaced, "I guess we aren't getting there first." He then asked her, "Is there anyone there to greet us when we arrive?"

"No. . .wait, yes. There is one person crouching down looking into a large pit at something. He looks frustrated, like he's been denied something. He's wearing glasses and he's got pale blond hair."

Hinata ended her jutsu and turned to look at them with normal eyes.

"I recognized him," she said with slight surprise. "He's the man who joined us in the first chuunin exam we took together, but if I remember correctly he dropped out before even the preliminaries started."

Sakura gasped. "You mean Yakushi Kabuto? Naruto said he was spying on the Leaf for Orochimaru at that time. He also said that Kabuto was a jounin level ninja, but he kept that hidden during the exam."

The girls faces took on a tense, ready expression as they looked at Shikamaru for the attack plan given the news.

Shikamaru's mouth curled into a hard smile. He never forgot that these women would give their lives without hesitation at his order. This trust is what made the safety of his team always his first priority.

"Well, I'm sorry he's frustrated," he said sarcastically. "Let's hope it's because he hasn't found what he's looking for yet, not because Orochimaru kicked him out of bed last night."

He turned to look toward where they would need travel.

"Sakura and I will approach him in the open. If he's as good as you say then sneaking up on him will be useless. He'll recognize Sakura so maybe we can keep him talking for a bit to gather more information. Tenten, you and Hinata are backup. Keep on the look out for other Sound. I'm sure he's not alone."

The team fell into formation and set out. Shikamaru felt the other two drop back and as they approached the final hill and his hands beginning to itch with need to hold a kunai. Suppressing the urge, he and Sakura walk at a casual pace down into the flat space the ruins occupied.

Kabuto appeared to be alone as they approached. He walked casually around from where he was standing to place himself squarely between them and the large grave-like hole Hinata has spied him staring into before. He is stood in a relaxed pose and his words were filled with a mocking warmth.

"Ahh, my fellow leafs," he said with a friendly wave. "What brings you out here to this poor and uninteresting countryside?"

Shikamura hesitated speaking as Kabuto had focused his attention on him. As they halted a good twenty paces from their quarry, Sakura immediately picked up on it.

"Hello Kabuto-san," she said, her eyes taking a fierce gleam, "We were about to ask you the same question."

Kabuto's eyes shifted back and forth a little before responding.

"Good," thought Shikamaru. "He's not sure who's in charge and he must also be unsure as to who is the stronger opponent between Sakura and I. Which means he must assume either I'm very weak or Sakura has gotten a lot stronger since last they met." He looked for a moment at Sakura. She radiated confidence, a coolness that showed no intimidation. She had to appear stronger to Kabuto compared to the timid little genin he'd met back then.

Kabuto continued to play the game.

"Sakura-san!" he exclaimed. "komen, I didn't recognize you!" His left hand drifted slowly up to push his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. "Are you doing something different with your hair again? You must tell me how Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun are doing."

"They are doing just fine." she said woodenly, seeing Kabuto again must be calling up memories she did think too much about. Shikamaru gritted his teeth, Sakura was thrown off by a simple question. It wasn't like her.

"Oh good," he said quickly. "I know how Naruto used to look at you, but you know you only had eyes for Sasuke-kun." The traitor-nin was enjoying himself now. "You know it was really a shame how it all turned out, " he said in regretful way. "I mean at first Sasuke seemed simply torn between you and the power Orochimaru-sama offered him. Of course, we all know how that turned out ... maybe he just prefers brunettes?"

Sakura's hand was shakily creeping down her leg to her weapon's pouch.

This wasn't going well.

Shikamaru spoke hurriedly. "We've come to do some sightseeing and wondered if you seen anything around here worthwhile to pick up."

"So, the team leader final speaks," he sneered. "It's wonderfully Tsunade-sama lets the baby leafs out to play this far from her apron strings."

"Oh crap," Shikamaru thought he saw right through me.

Kabuto's hands flew in a complex jutsu as he bent down to drive his fingers into the ground.

"Kinjutsu! Zanshitai Kaisei!" (Forbidden Skill - Unclean Soul Resurrection)

The earth erupted all around the chuunins and scores of skeletal arms rose from the ground grasping at them. The ninja dodged the attacks as the corpses began to pull themselves up animated by Kabuto's jutsu.

Shikamaru knew from the bingo book that this criminal specialized in medical jutsu, yet the number of animated skeletons that rose up still startled him.

"This guy is definitely jounin level," he thought.

All he and Sakura could do was dodge the attacks as taijutsu and standard weapons had little effect.

Kabuto watched the two nins struggle with satifaction as he saw two other kunoichi appear from the brush that covered the surrounding hillside. The smaller woman with short dark had her hands moving already while one dressed in pink had an unfurling scroll in hand as she raced down to join her comrades.

"Ah, there's the rest of your team," he said. "I wonder what they can. . ."

Hinata's hands stopped moving as she invoked her most powerful ninjutsu.

"Mokudon Kousatsu Shinjukon!" (Wood Type Skill - Divine Tree-root Strangulation)

Long vine-like roots burst from the ground to twist around the newly risen corpses. The bodies of warriors long since fallen on the battlefield were being pulled down into the ground once more.

Kabuto was impressed. Very few ninja could use wood-type skills. "I wonder if she's related to the first hokage, " he thought.

It was still not powerful enough stop most of the undead and many soon started to break free from the roots. The jutsu was performed too far away from the forests where it gained its strength. Sakura and Shikamaru still couldn't get near him.

The other woman had launched herself in the air with a scroll unfurling in a spiral around her.

Tenten performed her Rising Dragon weapons skill and senbon and kunai rained, whistling through the air, to lodge themselves in the corpses.

"Ordinary attacks are useless, "Kabuto thought. "What could the girl. . ." He then he saw the trick to her jutsu. He was pleasantly surprised by the ingenuity.

Each weapon had a explosion note tied to its end. The skeletal army erupted all at once in a smoky ruin. Kabuto shielded he eyes for a moment and prepared for his next jutsu when he saw Sakura streaking through the smoke towards him. He realized the fool was about to engage him in taijutsu.

He adjusted to a ready stance and his hands took a slightly purplish glow. With his touch he could shatter veins and arteries, while a longer hold would cause massive hemorrhaging. Sakura ran right at him berserker-like with a raised fist.

"She fights like Naruto-kun," he laughed to himself. He readied the counterstrike as she closed the few feet left.

His hand passed through her like air.

"Genjutsu! Where?..."

Kabuto was barely able to duck Sakura's kick as it whistled past his ear. She let motion carry through as she dropped down and sent her other leg to whip out in a sweeping attack. The kick took Kabuto hard at the ankle and he fell backwards rolling up and away back onto his feet. He quickly sent chakra down to the foot she had hit to stem the swelling and fracturing he felt start.

He was back up and ready as Sakura's hands were ending another jutsu. He watched as two clones appeared on either side of her and then moved to melt into her true body overlapping her form.

"Bushin won't work twice Sakura-chan," he said to her.

She lauched herself at him again. He didn't even bother to block the first attack as the bushin' s leg passed away like smoke. Sakura was barely able spring back from the glowing fist he delivered.

She approached and Kabuto was sure where she was this time thrusting his arm in a knife-like attack at her throat. The kunoichi blocked up and the nin felt her connect. He immediately went to grasp the fending arm he had felt deflect his blow when the his hand simply melted through that as well.

Kabuto was in disbelief. "It was solid! Kage bushin? How?"

Sakura emerged through the fading illusion and struck with a vicous punch squarely to his unguarded midsection. The payload of chakra she had put in the strike was punishing and the sound-nin was thrown back through air. The force had knocked his feet out behind him and he landed flat on his stomach.

Kabuto fought the pain and spit out the blood that began to fill his mouth. He got up slowly but was already healing the internal injury she caused when suddenly.

"I can't move," he said aloud.

He found himself walking slowing toward that guy he had figured was the leader all along. A thick dark shadow seemed to connect the two of them.

"Got you," said Shikamaru smugly.

Kabuto looked far from beaten. "Kagemane.then you must be from the Nara clan," he sneered. "Now I see why you're forced to hide behind women."

Shikamaru ignored his taunt. "I'm sure you weren't going to the trouble of digging your grave for us, Kabuto-san. Sakura, what's in the hole?"

She walked over to look in the ground. "It's a large scroll and it has a reddish glow surrounding it." Her brows knitted as she stared down into the pit. "I think it's a protection ward. I bet he couldn't even put his hand's on it. "

"Hmm...," The chuunin captain responded with a devilish grin, "Maybe we should force him to pick it up then to see what happens, ne?"

Tenten and Hinata were walking over to join them when the ground around Shikamaru's feet exploded throwing him back through the air. Two sound ninja leapt from the ground hidden by some earth jutsu to land at Kabuto's side

Kabuto freed from the shadow bind jutsu backed away slowly from the Leafs with a salute."I leave the problem of opening that scroll to you my friends," he told them.As his escape skill drew him and the other nins away in puff of smoke his voice remained to echo a final comment. "Sakura you've grown up so lovely and also tell Sasuke-kun that the resemblance is just remarkable."

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: That took forever to write! Writer's block is a terrible thing. 


	7. Flesh Wound

A/N: Wow, I had a vicious combo of sucky semester and writer's block, but I'm back! I hope at least a couple people who were my dedicated readers stuck around!  
  
Also some new really great writers have shown up on the site, Yay! ? ^ o ^ ?  
  
Can't promise a quick end to this story, but the goal is five more chappies before end of break.  
  
Luv, BN  
  
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Chapter 7 - Flesh Wound  
  
"Ouch! sss eh, teh, teh, teh... "  
  
"Please don't be difficult Shikamaru-kun," said Hinata in as terse a tone as she could muster.  
  
Shikamaru settled down as she continued treatment and could only sigh in disgust for a reply. He had badly bruised the ribs on his left side when the sound-nins had launched that earth attack from underneath them. Leaning back against the offending piece of rubble he'd flown into, he tried to be a good patient for his medical ninja.  
  
"I had been so focused on Kabuto...," he thought, "It was such a genin mistake. Very Stupid." He was not used to making stupid mistakes. Mistakes meant failed missions and failed missions usually meant dead teammates.  
  
"All done!" declared Hinata as she got up.  
  
Her face shed its look of concentration and was replaced with a pleased smile. Hinata was a perfectionist when it came to her medical skills. Given her mentors were Shizune-sama and Tsunade-sama she had some high expectations to uphold.  
  
Shikamaru stood slowly and wandered over to the pit where Tenten and Sakura were to see how they were doing with their find.  
  
"It can't be touched." Sakura said crossing her arms in a reflex of frustration.  
  
Tenten rose from where she was crouched. "And we can't use a rope either... catches fire in seconds."  
  
Shikamaru rubbed his chin. "Things that don't burn?" he volunteered.  
  
Sakura shook her head while Tenten explained. "We tried lifting it with the flat sides of our kunai, but the metal got too hot before we could even get out of the hole. It's like it doesn't want to be moved."  
  
The solution came to him immediately, but he wasn't sure what the consequences would be. Either way they had to get moving soon. Kabuto and his shinobi should have been showing up to counter-attack any minute now.  
  
"I'm going to use Kage Intoku no jutsu, " he told them and seeing their concerned looks immediately added, "We haven't got any other ideas and we can't afford to waste time."  
  
The Kage Intoku, or Concealing Shadow, was one of the last family jutsu his father had taught him. It gave the user the ability to absorb and carry objects within their shadow, completely hiding it from detection. The limitation was that the weight of the object would be added to your own. It felt almost like your bones got heavier. In fact, his father once made him take an eighty-kilo stone on as a training device. Shikamaru had planned to get even with him for that one. He was also pretty sure if you absorbed something too heavy your body would be crushed instantly.  
  
Warily he jumped into the pit and formed the In(seal), molding his chakra to the jutsu. He watched his shadow stretch under the glowing scroll and thicken as the object slid into its depths. His shadow shrunk back to size as he released the seal. Leaping back out of the hole the women all examined him questioningly.  
  
"Light as a feather," he told them with a reassuring nod. He took one step when his legs gave way. Hinata rushed to his side, but he was up quickly waving her off.  
  
"Hinata, I'm fine. Just got dizzy for a sec, probably the knock from before. Anyway, let's get out of here, I've had it with this place!" He checked his gear briefly before giving sign to move out.  
  
They were out of Nagayama by early evening and the full moon lit their swift path along the treetops of western Konoha. Shikamaru felt incredibly thirsty and was about to whistle for a water break when he realized that the branches we smacking him in the face in mid-freefall. Their sting was nothing to him as he passed from conscientiousness.  
  
"What? Where?"  
  
Hinata's strained face swam above him. "Shikamaru, you're burning up with fever, you need to release the scroll now."  
  
"I must be lying down," he thought.  
  
Shikamaru tried to focus on Hinata's face as he spoke to her. "No... too risky... we need to get back..."  
  
His eyes began to lose focus as heard the sounds of other female voices. He was sure he knew them from somewhere, but couldn't catch what they were saying.  
  
"I can keep going just..." and with that he slipped away again into the blackness.  
  
----  
  
Shikamaru woke up on a couch in the Hokage's office. His head felt so heavy and he needed a drink so badly. "Water." he croaked. Tsunade was there beside him, her hand firmly cradling his head as she pressed a cup to his lips. He swallowed hurriedly causing fit of choking.  
  
"Shikamaru," said Tsunade in a commanding voice. "I need you to release the scroll now! You must end your jutsu." Obeying her he brought his trembling hands together and breathed out "kai" to release the scroll. His slid back into sleep as a wonderful coolness suffused his body.  
  
It was on that same couch in the Hokage's office he found himself again when he awoke. The sunlight from the window played crossed his face and he sat up to see more clearly.  
  
"Ohaiyo, squad leader!"  
  
Shikamaru squinted to see Tenten lounging in on a windowsill near the door. She was the only other person in the room. He looked down and immediately noticed the large blackened spot on the Hokage's floor.  
  
"Yeah," Tenten began, "Tsunade-sama had to move the scroll right after you released it. We told her it would burn anything, but I don't think even she was ready for it. She was worried about you too."  
  
He nodded. What he had done was pretty reckless and very unlike him. "That's what I get for trying to make-up for my Kabuto blunder," he thought to himself soberly.  
  
"What time is it?" he asked.  
  
Tenten grabbed a teapot and cup from the desk and brought it over to him. "Shouldn't you be asking me what day it is?"  
  
She fell into a chair next to his makeshift bed. "The tea's only about an hour old, but you my dear have been out for two and a half days since you fell out of that tree."  
  
Shikamaru poured for himself and asked, "Two days, how'd I get here then?"  
  
Tenten picked up her arm and flexed a muscle. "Hey, I'm one cute package, but I'm built tough!" She grinned. "We all took turns carrying you. Your getting too skinny by the way, you should eat more."  
  
He sighed at the comment and brought the cup to his lips. Shikamaru's hands froze midair and he emitted a groan. Eating made him think of...  
  
He sputtered, "Ino?!"  
  
"... was told, " finished Tenten, "you were still on a mission for Tsunade- sama, very top secret."  
  
There was a brief knock and they turned to see the Hokage entering her office. "There's my top strategist," Tsunade exclaimed. "How's the patient?"  
  
The weapons kunoichi stood and replied, "He looks okay to me." She ruffled his head of loose hair and strolled toward the exit. "Catch ya later, Shikamaru-kun."  
  
Tsunade went to sit at her desk and they waited to speak until the door shut behind Tenten.  
  
Shikamaru had found the leather string he used as a hair tie on an end table and gathering up his hair with both hands he began speaking with it in his mouth.  
  
"So, what is it?" he mumbled through clenched teeth.  
  
Tsunade spread her hands. "I was hoping you could tell me," she said. "We know it's a summoning contract of some sort and probably something with an affinity toward Fire but that's it. I've had a number of Jounin up to look at it, even brought elder Koharu in here to see it. No one can touch it though."  
  
The Hokage smiled wryly. "Right now, I have it in the next room on a metal scroll stand in a tub of water to absorb the heat. It gets a little steamy, but I just keep adding more water every couple hours. Bet I could make a fortune in the portable hot springs business."  
  
"Can it be opened then?" he asked.  
  
"Oh yes," Tsunade assured him, "I'm just not sure if we have anyone strong enough in the elemental nature it represents."  
  
Shikamaru wasn't sure he believed what she was saying. "Hokage-sama, you mean to tell me that the Leaf doesn't have a ninja strong enough in Fire?" It sounded almost too ridiculous to say.  
  
She stood, looking very tired suddenly, and walked over to the window. "You might not believe this Shikamaru-kun, but that could be true. Being Fire Country we have more powerful fire techniques and a greater number of that jutsu-type than any other shinobi country. However, true strength in any single element is rare."  
  
"That's why we were so excited by Hinata," she continued. "Her talent in Wood-type jutsu, even at a middling level is exceptional. Elemental strength can't be bred like an advanced bloodline and it's hard to predict who will have what abilities. There are patterns though. In fact, Sakura just wrote a wonderful paper on the natural equilibrium in..."  
  
As she spoke the Hokage turned to see Shikamaru dozing away peacefully. Feeling her left eye start to twitch uncontrollably she screeched, "Shikamaru! Are you listening?"  
  
The shadow ninja tumbled off the couch along with his pillows and blanket.  
  
"Huh? yeah sure, umm. fire bad, tree pretty, right?" he blurted out.  
  
Tsunade could only shake her head ruefully. "Go home and get some rest, you are still not one hundred percent."  
  
He nodded his head in absent agreement and Tsunade softened as she watched him gather himself to leave.  
  
"How's Ino-san doing?"  
  
Shikamaru gave her a slightly sour look before replying. Women always seem to want to talk about his relationship. "She's well, enjoying her classes, organizing for the festival, finding homes for small kittens... You know her, she's like some goodwill juggernaut."  
  
Tsunade laughed at his view. "Well today she's returning from an overnight field trip with her class and won't be back till this evening. So, you have the day to rest up."  
  
He was about to turn and leave when it all clicked together. "How did you know she was on a field trip?"  
  
Tsunade's eyes widened in false innocence. "Oh! I just had Iruka-sensei give her the assignment when you got back."  
  
"I see," he said, giving her a slanted look.  
  
The Hokage dissembled. "Sakura's a horrible liar, Shikamaru-kun. Once Ino got a hold of her it would've been over, then I'd have had her camped in here everyday with you lying there like a sack of azuki beans, asking over and over about why I wasn't doing anything."  
  
Tsunade agreed with his former comment, "Like you said, a juggernaut."  
  
Shikamaru felt his bed calling him urgently and he stumbled out of the door.  
  
The fifth Hokage sighed slightly as he departed. She really needed to keep her fondness for her younger charges in check. Many of them including the young man who just left would not see middle years due to their profession. If another major war was to come upon the Leaf, they could lose a whole generation again.  
  
She was pleased to sense the arrival of her next guest as these worries circled in her mind.  
  
"You're late as usual Kakashi," she said.  
  
In response a puff of nin-smoke appeared in the middle of the room follow by the unabashed nin. "My apologies Hokage-sama, I was passing through Tanza when some young women ask me to dance fo them."  
  
Tsunade ignored his antics and waited to hear his report. If things up north were as bad as she thought she would be making those tough choices all too soon.  
  
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To Be Continued. 


	8. Something Old, Something New

A/N: This is the chapter I've been hating to do cause its got a POV I have a hard time writing. I love Neji too much (it scares me!) He's a great character and it's hard to do him justice and still use him for what I need him for. ^o^  
  
Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto is not mine.  
  
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Chapter 8 – Something Old, Something New  
  
It was early morning as Neji surveyed the layout of the bandit camp from a high vantage in the trees. As he waited for the others to get in position for the attack, he took another chance to scan the area with his Byakugan.  
  
"I don't like this," he thought. "There's something not right here."  
  
When he first received word from Anko that his team had been assigned to yet another 'blow-it-up' job by the Hokage, he was starting to get the impression that was all she thought his team was good for. He knew she gave more important missions to that slacker Shikamaru, but he still wasn't sure why. It just ate at him. Now looking below at yet another sizable camp of a hundred-odd mercenaries that had built up on the border between Fire and Lightning countries he began to see an odd pattern.  
  
The perimeter was neat and orderly with staked torches and tight-looking sentries, while the interior layout of tents and fires was scattered, almost sloppy looking. The waking fighters moving sluggishly about the camp definitely didn't look like ronins. In fact, they were more like street thugs. Certainly nothing a ninja village like Konoha needed to worry about.  
  
"They don't even look well-fed," he realized.  
  
The supply lines at the back of the camp were top caliber in their layout as well. Carts were loaded with foodstuffs and weaponry, all lined up neatly behind teams of oxen. The pack animals were tethered in a straight row along well-tended feed lines. It made for an odd picture.  
  
The strangest thing had to be the large blue tent at the center of the encampment. It was obviously where the leaders were, but there was no traffic in and out its entrance. Neji noticed how all the bandits were carefully to steer clear and not get too close to it. With his heighten senses he could read body language of those passing by and every one of them made sure to avert their eyes in a clear display of avoidance.  
  
Neji watched as one guy who looked like a real bruiser strolled by the tent's entrance. The man was strong looking and knew it. He had that arrogant walk of a bully declaring his dominance over others. As a breeze caught at the tent's flap and cast it ajar the man's appearance faltered.. His toughness melted away and was replaced by a far different look. One that Neji was fond of seeing only in his worst enemies.  
  
"Terror," he said to himself at a whisper. This man feared punishment and it was something he knew well. His entire body cringed in a way that said it was recalling a past lesson in pain. He had been made a recent example of by someone in that tent.  
  
"I don't like this at all," Neji thought.  
  
He took a breath and brought his fingers to his lips. He was ready to whistle the signal to abort the mission, when he stopped in midmotion.  
  
"Damn it." he exhaled. The attack had already begun.  
  
On cue, a red blur raced out of the trees along the brush line. Its target was the line of animals in front of the supply carts. Akamaru had grown to full size as Kiba had passed his fifteenth birthday. The Inuzuka clan having long bred their dogs for strength, stamina and intelligence had achieved much in Akamaru. The canine was just smaller that an average sized man and had more chakra ability that even his sire, Komaru. With his hackles raised, he resembled some nightmarish Onii-wolf as he descended on the camp.  
  
Seeing the dog, the oxen broke their lines and with the him snapping at their flanks were driven into a frenzy running over tents and people alike. A couple of sentries tried in vain to stop Akamaru by throwing shuriken and kunai, but the projectiles merely bounced from his hide. His master had given him a soldier pill, turning his fur that frightening crimson color. The dog also employed a technique that Kiba called Ketetsu (Iron Fur) which deflected such flimsy attacks. Kiba, looking like a possessed beast himself quickly joined his pet in the fray.  
  
Neji saw a flash of yellow from the opposite side of clearing as Naruto moved into position. He ran toward a massive oak at the edge of camp and using his Rasengan, the nin bent low ripping through the tree's trunk near its base. As he stood to full height his fist whipped around to hammer into the tree, guiding the toppling giant's fall. The strike directed it to land deep into the confusion. The crash was followed by a dozen eager blond doppelgangers jumping into the fight.  
  
In a puff of nin-smoke Neji materialized unseen behind a group of armed guards just south of the action. They stood open mouthed in awe at the spectacle unfolding before them. Neji moved silently among them like a specter and with his Jyuuken dispatched them with little effort.  
  
A low rumble signaled the arrival of the final team member coming down a steep slope off of a northern hillside, Choji's Nikudan Sensha (Meat Tank) blasted through the log barriers in place and the sentries fled from its path.  
  
While in battle Neji never stopped paying attention to the big blue tent and even now saw that no one left or entered it even with all the commotion. Choji's taijutsu picked up speed as he aimed straight for it. It was one of the few things left standing.  
  
The pale-eyed ninja held his breath a little as he paused his own attack to see what would happen.  
  
"Come on, Choji" he prayed silently. "Prove me wrong and flatten that thing."  
  
The Akimichi taijutsu specialist thundered towards his target when Neji caught a movement at the tent flap. He strained to see more as Choji's mass blocked his view.  
  
"It doesn't matter now," Neji tried to assure himself. "No one could just stop the meat tank attack that close." The comforting thought did little to stop his jaw from dropping open as he watched his 'bad feeling' unfold.  
  
Choji bounced back into the air after being deflected hard off of something. The chubby nin lost his multi-size effect midair and hit ground grasping at his stomach in agony.  
  
Neji observed a dark haired man of slight build standing in front of the tent, he was cloaked in a midnight blue cape with a swirling red cloud pattern and his forehead protector had its country symbol scratched out.  
  
"An escaped nin," Neji guessed as he moved toward the man. He looked familiar some how.  
  
Akamaru broke through a group of bandits he was menacing to charge the new threat when the mysterious figure locked his gaze on the dog. The hulking beast froze in his tracks and began to whimper and shake uncontrollably. Kiba seeing his distress was quickly beside him.  
  
"Akamaru, what's the matter?," he asked. The nin-dog continued to cry and moved to hide behind Kiba's legs. "What's wrong?!" he yelled in frustration. The dog hadn't acted like this since it had first seen Gaara so long ago.  
  
Neji walked cautiously toward the man.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded.  
  
The rogue ninja's voice was mild, almost pleasant despite the flat, hard line of his mouth. He responded smartly, "Oh I'm just a traveler. My apologies, "he said, his eyes moving over to where Choji was still struggling to stand, "I saw your ball and couldn't resist kicking it."  
  
The Byakugan emerged on Neji's face as he took up the ready stance.  
  
"I see... your Hyuga clan, Hajimemashite." the stranger said in mild surprise. Neji was done with talking. As he moved to attack, he heard Naruto yelling from far behind them.  
  
"Neji, wait!"  
  
He closed the distance between him and his opponent in a heartbeat. He thrust his hand forward in a lethal strike and suddenly the man was gone.  
  
"Where the hell?!" Neji exclaimed.  
  
The pale-eyed nin felt a fingertip press lightly on the middle of his back.  
  
"This is where that blindspot is, ne?" said the man who somehow got behind him.  
  
Neji turned and launched another strike again into thin air as the disappearing act was repeated. He still felt the man's finger resting lightly on the one place he couldn't see.  
  
Neji gritted his teeth in anger. He readied his Kaiten (Heavenly Spin) when he felt a crushing grip on his shoulder, stopping him from turning.  
  
"There's no need for that now," the man said into his ear softly, "after all were practically cousins."  
  
"He knew what I was going to do," Neji thought in shock. He saw Naruto running up to them as the man released his shoulder.  
  
"Itachi, you bastard!" yelled Naruto.  
  
It all fell into place as Neji turned to face the stranger who had backed away out of range of the Kaiten.  
  
"Uchiha Itachi."  
  
Itachi nodded his head in the slightest of bows to Neji's recognition.  
  
"Naruto-kun, the Hyuga boy here was about to show me his greatest attack," explained the psychotic nin. "I feel it only impolite," he continued, "if I don't show him mine."  
  
Neji watched as the blood-red sharingan swirled up from the depths of Itachi's black eyes.  
  
"Mange Sharingan."  
  
Neji heard himself start screaming as he fell under the hellish jutsu.  
  
Naruto arrived in time to catch Neji as he collapsed and watched the Byakugan faded from his blank staring eyes.  
  
Kiba ran over to take Neji from Naruto's arms. "Choji! He needs help."  
  
"No!" said Naruto keeping his eyes on Neji's face as he passed his limp form to Kiba. "Hurry and take him to Konoha and tell the Hokage. Go with Akamaru now."  
  
Both man and dog gave Naruto an uncertain look, but did as they were told leaving the camp on an arrow's path back home.  
  
Red, demonic chakra began to whip around Naruto as he glared fiercely at Sasuke's brother. The very air around Naruto swirled wildly and the mercenaries who had remained to watch what Itachi would do to the leaf ninja all shielded their eyes in the gale.  
  
Choji was finally up onto his feet again and grinned viciously with expectation. "Kick his ass, Naruto!" he cheered.  
  
"You ready to die again, " Naruto asked ominously.  
  
Itachi seemed unaffected by the display. "You disappoint me Naruto-kun," he said placidly. "After all I did to arrange this little reunion for you."  
  
With that a second person emerged from the blue tent. A petite and young- looking woman walked calmly to stand a few paces behind the Uchiha. Her kimono was pale lavender, sashed with a violet shade that matched the color of her large doe-like eyes. Her pale round face was framed with short silvery blond hair that lay just above the shoulders.  
  
Choji thought she was pretty in the way a child's doll might be seen to be, yet her manner was as frozen and lifeless as that of Itachi. What he saw next though caused him to break out in a cold sweat. Looking at back Naruto, he saw something he never thought he'd see in the most powerful ninja he knew... Naruto looked afraid.  
  
"Setsuko,"the blond nin said looking shaken, ". . . Arashi Setsuko"  
  
Itachi's mouth twitched as the ghost of a smile hinted at his lips. "I'm so glad you remembered her."  
  
As Itachi spoke some of the mercenaries who had remained to watch started to move in closer. Their confidence rose as Itachi and Setsuko finally seemed to have an advantage over the Leaf nins. Itachi's eyes flicked to the side in annoyance.  
  
"Setsuko," he asked the pale kunoichi, "please tidy up this place. This trash has outlived their usefulness."  
  
"No!" screamed Naruto.  
  
The flowing sleeves of Setsuko's robe fluttered as her hands rose above her head. In the swift movement dozens of hooked senbon (throwing needles) flew to pierce and snare the rabble surrounding them. Each senbon was attached to a gossamer steel thread she had looped to her fingers.  
  
Her voice sounded like a small child's as her victims barely had time to start struggling.  
  
"Shinne."  
  
Electricity flowed from Setsuko's fingers charging along the metallic threads. Cries of alarm and fear were cut short, replaced with a greasy, sizzling hiss.  
  
The stench of cooked human flesh and burnt hair, caused the bile to rise in Naruto's throat. Choji, unable to control himself, retched noisily behind him.  
  
"We need to get out of here, "Naruto realized desperately.  
  
"Choji, we're leaving!" he yelled, "Earth Splash Combo!"  
  
"O-kay!" Choji said, wiping his mouth he sprang into action. He leapt high in the air again using his Baika no Jutsu (Multi-size), while Naruto's hands flashed with seals, carefully timing his jutsu's release with Choji's landing.  
  
"Doton Sokuryuusha!" (Earth-Type skill: Instant Quicksand)  
  
The massive chuunin's impact caused a shockwave effect on the liquefied ground. Itachi and Setsuko were forced to spring to the tops of tent poles to avoid the splashing earth. The ground flowed like raging water only to harden again, but moments after it surged forth.  
  
The ninja landed back on the ground and watched crossed a hellish scene of cooked bodies and twisted earth as Naruto and Choji made their escape into the trees.  
  
"I didn't think he would run," said Setsuko quietly.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Itachi replied. "We've accomplished our part, now Orochimaru needs to keep his side of the bargain."  
  
As Itachi and Setsuko disappeared the tendrils of nin-smoke marking their departure drifted lazily over the silent and dread landscape.  
  
__________________________________  
  
To Be Continued  
  
(Legal Disclaimer: no trees, puppies, chubby people, livestock or toaster ovens were actually hurt during the writing of this story!)  
  
Extra A/N: For those who were wondering, in my story Neji can see Itachi behind him, but only once he moves. This is based on what Kishimoto-san has revealed about Neji's personal training regime for the Byakugan(i.e. counting birds). I guessed the Byakugan expanded the eye's field of vision, increasing the "rods" and "cones" in the retina nerve. I also assumed that the composite of the eye remained the same. Meaning that peripheral vision was expanded to almost completely behind the body and foveal vision was extended with perfect clarity to a mile or two in direct line of sight.  
  
Peripheral vision is triggered when "rods" in the eye sense movement. It's why you can feel something come towards you from a seeming blind area like from above or the far left or right. You don't know its shape or color but you know "its" there cause its moving. Given Itachi first moved extremely quickly, then became perfectly still at the edges of Neji's vision (meaning behind him). He "dissappeared" for a moment, until he poked Neji in the back. Given a couple seconds, Neji would have picked him up on "radar" anyway.  
  
If you disagree (like one of my reviewers did!) on how I understand the Hyuga bloodline technique, my apologies. But I hope this helps you understand my story better! 


	9. Something Borrowed, Something Blue

A/N: Ok I lied, this isn't exactly lovey-dovey, but this is one of my favorite combos! Getting in Kakashi's mind is fun and I had to explain how Sakura laid the smack down on Kabuto from before.

Enjoy, BN (yes, yes, the title is cheesy)

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter 9 - Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Kakashi felt he had been squeezed like an orange by the time he left Tsunade's office later that afternoon. She had wanted to know every tiny detail of his trip. He silently congratulated himself on his self- restraint. He had been very tempted to include telling her when and where he went to the bathroom too... just so she got the full picture.

"She doesn't have the sense of humor for details like that right now," he thought. The side trip to Tanza comment was a joke, but it had taken ten minutes to convince her of that.

Just because Tanza was a nearby resort famous for its casinos and red light district did not mean Hatake Kakashi had no self-control. He had some, which he used sparingly for special occasions. Besides, those types of things bored him quickly.

"If I knew I was going to get grilled like that though I would have actually made the visit," he mused.

Kakashi really missed Sandaime at times like these. The third's easy-going manner and fatherly presence made him feel that no matter how bad things got it would all turn out alright somehow. Tsunade was a smart woman, descended from Yondaime, a brilliant, powerful ninja in her own right, but where Sarutobi seemed settled, more able to take it, she seemed less sure of herself, almost brittle.

"The Hokage has her reasons. . . I guess we all do," Kakashi reflected, but such thoughts got him down and depressed; he didn't like that.

He laughed at himself. "This is what happens when I don't have my book for four days."

Since he was tired, hungry, bored and without read material the scarecrow- nin decided now was a perfect time to do some intensive training.

He moved at top speed along the rooftops of Konoha making good time towards the Hokage monument where his favorite pick of training spots was hidden.

Near the top of the mountain's carved face was small cave well hidden from the view looking up. It led to a tunnel going straight through the mountain under the observation fort at the summit, the other side of which led into a deep bowl-like arena. It was said that it had been in existence since the founding of the village, if not even earlier than that.

This was a place different from the public stadium used for village meetings and the chuunin exhibitions. In fact, no more that a dozen shinobi would ever have need to be in here at any one time. That time being one of the most important, vital events that occurred in Konoha, the Jounin exam.

In certain ways the Jounin trials were the exact opposite of the chuunin. The Chuunin exam showed the village's strength to world, the vital, young talent it possessed, but the Jounin exam was a secret affair where a village's elite ninja would quietly induct another into their ranks.

Many things other than strength were tested there and it was only by being sponsored by a Jounin that one could even be considered for the promotion. Like Chuunin, death was rare, but not unheard of in this set of trials as well.

When Kakashi arrived he was very surprised to find the testing ground already had an occupant.

Looking down at the center he immediately recognized a former pupil of his. Haruno Sakura was there moving through a form of a taijutsu style he quickly realized he hadn't seen before. The strikes and kicks seem standard, but other movements looked soft-handed and weak. They would almost be a wasted effort in a real fight.

He jumped down to the arena floor and Sakura noting his arrival abruptly ended her practice. She greeted him looking very self-conscious.

"Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and strolled over to her. "Konichwa, Sakura. Last time I checked this was a Jounin training area."

Sakura pushed her hands behind her back and blinked a few times in faked shock. "Really sensei! I had no idea, komennasai!" she said.

Kakashi had to smile, even all grown up Sakura was still one of the worst liars he'd ever met. She would only be here because what she was practicing was either dangerous or something she didn't want others to see. It piqued his curiosity.

"Iie, no worries, I was coming up to do some training myself," he told her gently. "You were working on taijutsu, right? Did you need as sparring partner?"

Sakura's surprised look became genuine. She said hastily, "Ahh, no, arigatou, sensei. What I was working on isn't ready yet for that... ". Sakura paused, looking away she finished, "and it wouldn't work well against a Sharingan user."

Kakashi studied her briefly. No longer a child, this Sakura still had a heart that was as clear and delicate as glass.

"Why do you still torture yourself with thoughts of him Sakura," he wondered to himself.

It had seemed like a simple crush to him at first, but he soon realized how much Sakura had loved Sasuke. It was a sentiment she had kept for so long and with so little in return.

Kakashi wasn't sure whether he was lucky or ill fated, but he had never pursued someone's love so desperately the way she had. Although, he reminded himself, a much younger, much more foolish scarecrow had once, like Sasuke, been on the receiving end of that same tragic sort of love.

He took his hands out of his pockets and adjusted his stance to a more ready position. "Come on, I won't use my eye. Just remember to take it easy on me, ok?"

Kakashi's supportive gesture gave her confidence and Sakura perked up.

"Ok! You asked for it! Iku yo!" she yelled. Sakura sprung back a pace and her hands flew through a bunch of seals in an adept motion.

Kakashi watched closely. "She's using other jutsu with the fighting technique," he thought.

Her seals started in succession for bushin-no-jutsu, but she had added three more seals at the end of it including a 'hitsuji' or sheep seal. Many advanced genjutsu ended with that sign, his excitement rose as he anticipated seeing something new. Given he was the infamous 'copy ninja', that didn't happen too often.

Two identical images of Sakura appeared to either side of her and then moved to together overlapping her true form. With normal eyes she appeared to have done nothing special to herself. Kakashi's hands itched to push his forehead protector up to see more.

Sakura charged forward and started throwing attacks at the Jounin.

He dodged her easily, watching the moves. "Sakura's speed has improved greatly, still nothing I can't handle though," he thought. Kakashi was almost disappointed. The Jounin knew there was more to it.

Sakura, however was visibly enjoying herself, her emerald eyes flashed with excitement. It was at that moment he realized how beautiful a woman Sakura had become.

Watching the fiery kunoichi spar him, a rare flash of memories enter his mind. In almost another lifetime, he had practiced with another woman with that same, dazzling expression.

"Her eyes were blue." he recalled.

Kakashi decided to counter her finally. Blocking a spinning fist, he went to wrap his hand around her arrested forearm when it seemed to melt through the flesh.

"Genjutsu! but how.."

A leg appeared as the illusion faded to reveal a powerful attack coming from a real Sakura. The Jounin took a solid kick to the chest and felt himself flying backwards in the air.

He didn't bother to correct his fall as he felt the ground rise up to meet him. It was softer than he remembered. His mind was elsewhere, still wrestling with the uninvited images that had surfaced.

Kakashi was sure he'd buried these feelings years ago, but he knew that was just a fool's blindness. The human mind didn't work that way and avoiding human contact could only suppress so much pain.

He could still recall the sound of her voice. It was funny; she'd always seemed to be screaming at him.

"Get up Kakashi!" her words echoing in his memory, "or that idiot Obito will get the bells from sensei first. We need to stick together! Don't worry now, I have a plan..."

It hurt to remember that he'd forgotten it all. Fortunately, another woman's voice dragged him back to the present.

"Kakashi-sensei, daijobu?" asked Sakura above him with concern. The silver- haired Jounin sighed and pulled himself to a sitting position.

"Maa, maa, I'm fine," he said, holding out a hand to his former pupil so she could help him up.

Dusting himself off a little he asked, "Can I see how you did it now?"

Sakura nodded hesitantly and while he adjusted his forehead protector, she remolded her chakra into the jutsu. Sharingan Kakashi watched the chakra flow of the bushins overlap Sakura's true form and as he moved quickly to strike at her again he observed something very surprising.

The bushin moved making it appear Sakura used a standard forearm block to guard the attack, but the through his spinning eye he saw the reality of the counter. Sakura's real hand, hidden by illusion,. twisted upward and with an open palm she met his fist with only two fingers. Both Kakashi eyes' widened in astonishment at what happened next. A small release of chakra came from her fingers, interrupting his attack like a solid wall. She moved with lightning speed to recoil and punch at him, this time he caught her true blow with his other hand.

They stopped. Releasing each other quickly, Sakura examined her feet while Kakashi stood in stunned silence.

"That was a Jyuuken move wasn't it?" he said finally.

Sakura keep looking at her feet, but bobbed her head in affirmation. "I can only using the hand blocking technique," she said softly. "The internal attacks require the ability to see chakra holes, but the basic blocks only need you to express chakra from you fingertips."

A mix of emotions flooded through the elder ninja. He knew Sakura's control was exceptional at a young age, but this was still genius on her part. Pride gave way to quickly to concern. Blocking with with chakra expressed from the fingers was not something the Hyuga clan could do alone. The Hokage and other high level ninja could perform simliar techniques as well, but style of Sakura's block was clearly Hyuga, which meant forbidden to non-clan members. More questions had to be asked and her need to hide the training led him to the answers.

"Sakura," Kakashi began carefully. "this is a wonderful technique, I'm very proud of you, but Hinata-san could get in trouble for this you understand?"

"Iie, sensei," she said slowly looking up. "It wasn't Hinata. Neji helped me learn the Jyuuken defense."

Kakashi exhaled loudly through his mask. He never expected that one.

Neji had been a challenging student for Gai and while he'd developed into a strong chuunin for the village, he still had a reputation as a bit of a hardass. Hiashi's adoption last year didn't help matters any from what he understood.

"Neji's not as tough as everyone thinks he is," Sakura said in an oddly defensive tone. "He can be really. . . sweet and he cares a lot about being honest and honorable. He's very passionate under that shell of his."

Her serious mood faded like a turning breeze and she gazed up at him with an affectionate smile, "We all have something we keep hidden in our hearts, don't we Kakashi-sensei?"

The older nin, put a hand to the back of his head and laughed awkwardly in response, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Sakura."

Their abashed moment was brought to a close by a new visitor. Hyuga Hinata appeared in a puff of nin-smoke next to them. She was a portrait of anxiety as she looked at them both.

"Sakura!" she said, "Naruto's team got back from their mission early this morning, but Neji had to be rushed to the hospital. Kiba said he's injured badly and that only. . . that only the Hokage can help him."

The pink-haired nin's face paled.

"Why don't you go see him now, Sakura." said Kakashi "We were finished here anyway."

Sakura turned to him and with a quick nod, disappeared followed by Hinata.

Kakashi sighed, that was not the stress-relieving physical exertion he'd been planning.

"Guess I'll do the next best thing and go have a drink," he decided as he readied to leave, "at least that's uncomplicated."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *


	10. Warm Water

A/N: OMG! What's ShikaIno doing in here?! I couldn't wait to write this chapter (believe it or not this was my first idea for the story), I hope you like it too. Grand plots seem silly, given that the main reason for fanfic is to write about our fav couples!  
  
[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]  
  
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Chapter 10 - Warm Water.  
  
It was one of those golden, peaceful moments. Shikamaru soaked lazily in his bathtub enjoying the luxury of the quiet. The steaming hot water had done its job well and the pain from his healing bruised ribs had faded from wincing to hardly noticeable. Laying back into the water he submerged himself past even his ears till nothing but his face broke the surface. He could almost float without touching the sides or bottom.  
  
"Getting this bigger tub was one of Ino's of the best ideas ever, " he thought contentedly.  
  
Sure, there were a couple minor little problems. The bathroom door could only open inward about fifteen inches before smacking in the tub's corner, and so what if he now had to stand in the tub to use the sink. It was all good. Heck, Choji didn't even need to be reminded to go before he stopped over anymore and as long as he and Ino stayed skinny they were completely safe.  
  
He zoned for a bit before the things that had been bothering him gnawed to the surface. The last mission was by definition a success. They had scouted the ruins, turned back the enemy and finally returned with an artifact that the Hokage had said was immensely dangerous and powerful in the wrong hands, yet everything felt wrong.  
  
"What resemblance did he mean?" Shikamaru said to the ceiling. He seriously hoped for a response.  
  
Kabuto obviously meant that Sasuke resembled someone, but whom? Certainly not his older brother. He could clearly remember the day it was announced Uchiha Itachi was dead. The Hokage had hand chosen a team of four people to capture the S-class criminal.  
  
She had unexpectedly elected to go herself and days later returned with a badly injured and unconscious Naruto. Immediately assembling the team captains she told them that Jiraiya had gone back to Myouboku after the battle. With a pained expression she then asked for volunteers to gather the body of their final team member who'd fallen in battle.  
  
Shikamaru still remembered how calm Rock Lee had been when he asked to be sent along. After all, Maito Gai had been his sensei and role model. Kakashi had also been vehement that he go pick up the remains as well.  
  
Everyone had been shaken by the news. Gai was so strong, a pillar among the Jounin. Even though he was a little peculiar it didn't matter because he was one of those people who made you feel safe just by being there.  
  
The Hokage had said that Itachi's body was destroyed when he was killed She hinted at some vast super jutsu of destruction and no one had questioned it. Well, Kakashi had, but Tsunade shut him up pretty quick about it. Naruto had said he couldn't remember a thing when he woke up either.  
  
"So either Sasuke's got another brother or... " Shikamaru didn't like this line of thought at all. He wasn't even sure what it would mean for the village.  
  
He sat up and pulled his knees towards his chest just as the door to his bathroom pushed open. Shikamaru caught the scent of a familiar lavender perfume as Ino squeezed around the door to plop inelegantly down on his toilet cover.  
  
"Woo, good landing!" she said laughing at herself. As he turned his head to look at her she planted a kiss lightly on his cheek. "Hey sweetie! what's up?" she asked.  
  
Shikamaru felt a weight lift from his shoulders, every time he was gone on a long mission returning to Ino was like seeing her again for the first time.  
  
"Nothing, much just the same long pointless missions," he said dismissively. Bringing up his theory that the Hokage had been lying to the village for the past three years was not someplace he wanted to go right now. "How was the field trip?" he asked.  
  
Ino grabbed the soap from the dish and started to wash his back.  
  
"Oh, it was fun," she said. "We went out to the pond with that great little waterfall just behind the Hokage mountain. Iruka sent us out to do some underwater concealment, which a lot of the younger ones have problems."  
  
He nodded. A ninja should always avoid using jutsu for concealment if possible. Spending chakra unnecessarily could jeopardize one's ability to complete a mission. It was important that shinobi children pick up those skills as early as possible.  
  
She grabbed a rag from the tubside. "I was worried about how to manage it all until Iruka-sensei said Sasuke could come to."  
  
Shikamaru who had been resting his chin comfortable on his knees reacted to that statement. He half-twisted around to look at her, his bare skin squeaking against the wet porcelain.  
  
"Sasuke went too?!" he said, suddenly alarmed and half-angry.  
  
Ino gave him a level look. "Yes, jealous-boy, Sasuke went too. He can hold his breath longer than I can and they listen better when he teaches."  
  
She continued to rinse his back while talking. "I thought it odd too, but Iruka-sensei said he okayed with Tsunade and kids loved it. Sasuke didn't seem phased by it either.  
  
She was silent for a moment  
  
Of course, "she continued, "I've come to expect these little surprises with Tsunade and it explains this. . ."  
  
"Oww! Ino!"  
  
Shikamaru almost levitated out of the tub as pain shot through him. Ino had poked him on the side where his bruises were.  
  
He turned to say more when he caught the menace in her expression.  
  
"Honestly," Ino said to him, near smoldering, "how big of an idiot does the woman think I am?!"  
  
Shikamaru tried to calm her down. "She just doesn't want you to worry...," he began, before starting to cringe at the sight of her.  
  
He had this bad habit of saying the wrong thing.  
  
"If I have only one right as a woman in this damn village, Shikamaru," she said heatedly," it's the right to worry about the ninja I'm in love with." Ino slapped the rag down on the side of the tub and reached for the shampoo.  
  
Shikamaru felt the color rising in his face as he turned back around meekly to let her wash his hair. Her fingers were far from gentle as she dug into his head, but he was too afraid to tell her.  
  
"The bald patches will grow back," he tried to assure himself. "Mom always swore my hair grew like a weed."  
  
After a while Ino had taken out most of her frustration on Shikamaru's poor scalp. She started to feel bad. Ino was never able to stay angry with him. It was key factor in the successs of their relationship she surmised. Maybe for all couples.  
  
"You complain and complain about her," she started ending their forced silence, "but did you ever notice the moment when I say something about Tsunade you turn around and begin to defend her?"  
  
"Now that you mention it I do, but I'm kind of dumb, so I always say the wrong things," he said playfully.  
  
Ino tilted his head back and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I know. It's a sad. I'm so shallow that I only go after the guys with looks not brains, " she teased back while getting up to leave. "Rinse and get out of there. It's starting to get cold."  
  
Shikamaru slid back into the water and washed the shampoo out.. He was so glad she was finally here. Here with him. He didn't want to think about anything else for tonight at least. Tomorrow with its intrigue and unpleasantness would come all too soon anyway.  
  
He floated again for a brief moment to cleanse his mind before sitting up. "The water really is starting to lose its heat," he thought.  
  
Hearing the door shut again, he assumed she had come back in.  
  
"Hey Ino hand me... Ino?!"  
  
Shikamaru had caught glimpse of her that sent him spinning around to the other end of tub. Ino stood there before him in all her glory, not a a stitch of clothing to be found.  
  
She smiled at him seductively while her fingers combed through her loose, flowing blonde hair. Pulling a strand of it over her shoulder, she let it trail lazily down between her perfect round...  
  
Shikamaru was not finding a problem with the water temperature at this point. It also occurred to him his mouth was open.  
  
Ino took a step slowly into the tub.  
  
"I like you like this, "she purred, "with you hair down. . . acting all coy... like a trapped deer..." creeping up to him, she let her lips brush lightly against his. "it makes me feel all... predatory."  
  
She kissed him fully this time and soon Shikamaru's mouth met hers eagerly. Ino let out a small squeal of delight as he took her in his arms.  
  
Only a soft splash and the occasional moan came out of bathroom. After a hard mission the least she thought she could do was help keep her boyfriend's bath warm.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	11. Stay

[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]  
  
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Chapter 11 –  
  
Sakura and Hinata burst through the doors of the hospital and made a beeline through the waiting area to the nurses' station. The place seemed deserted, but a lemony ammonia smell hinted at a janitor's recent passage. They followed the long stretch of green and brown carpet that led from the door to the check-in desk. Two young women in clean white uniforms staffed it. As Sakura strode up to the desk they were innocently wiping their mouths of crumbs as one of them quickly hid a cookie tin in a desk drawer.  
  
Before the pink-haired girl could utter a sound the closest nurse began speaking to them in an unpleasant droning voice.  
  
"I'm sorry ladies, vistors' hours are over. Unless you are immediate family I'm going to have to ask you to leave."  
  
Hinata stopped dead in her tracks, but Sakura grabbed her arm and pulled her the last couple of feet to the counter.  
  
"We are family," she said. "Hinata's brother is here and we've just found out about his condition." Sakura knew it was stretching the truth, but she wasn't leaving cause some closet-eating candy striper said so.  
  
The two attendants exchanged unconvinced glances but the other nurse nodded and with a sigh the closest one started to flip through the card file on her desk.  
  
"Name?" she asked.  
  
"Hyuga Neji," Hinata said barely above a whisper.  
  
The woman stopped flipping and closed the file with a quick snap. "I'm sorry," she said with a satisfied smile, "Neji-sama isn't taking any visitors."  
  
"Domo." said Hinata with a small bow. She turned meekly to leave avoiding Sakura's gaze, but before she could take a step the other woman had grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her back around.  
  
"And why isn't Neji taking visitors?" said Sakura asked slamming her hands down on the countertop. She was beginning to get really annoyed.  
  
First nurse just stared blandly at her, while her partner stood up.  
  
"Listen," said the other woman, now speaking for the first time, "I don't know who you two chuunin are, but Neji-sama is in with the Hokage right now." She crossed her arms continuing, "If you don't understand what that means perhaps we can find some Anbu to explain that to you."  
  
Sakura smiled sweetly and with the nurses watching on she slowly raised her right arm and extended out to her side. When her hand became level with her shoulder she made a quick, loud snap with her fingers.  
  
Sakura turned down the hall towards the stairs, pulling Hinata along with her. The dark-haired girl glanced back behind them to see the nurses seemingly frozen with void looks on their faces.  
  
"Genjutsu... how did you?" she began.  
  
"Simple," said Sakura. "When I snapped my fingers I made a seal with my other hand. Right now those two are watching us leave out the front door in a huff."  
  
She had learned very early in her genjutsu training from Kakashi-sensei that basic deceptions are often the best way to fool opponents. If your adversary knows what your intentions are, then it doesn't matter how much chakra you expend, the illusion will still fail all the same.  
  
Hinata's eyes grew with astonishment. "You can do one-handed seals?"  
  
"Only with some basic jutsu." Sakura replied as they climbed steps. "I saw a very talented boy in Wave country do it when I was a genin." That was also when she realized how deeply she was in love with a certain dark-eyed teammate she thought ruefully.  
  
They peeked through the doors going into the second floor hall. Sakura nodded to Hinata who performed the seals for the Byakugan and searched down the corridor with her eyes. She withdrew her jutsu before shaking her head.  
  
"What about the Anbu?" she asked Sakura as they as continued moving up to next floor.  
  
"I figured we would deal with that when we met one," Sakura said, "but I don't think there are any here... which is odd." The Hokage didn't normally run around without an escort particularly at night. It made her think something very bad had happened, but what exactly she couldn't fathom.  
  
Hinata recognized Neji's name scribbled on a chart when they checked on the fifth floor. The two women walked silently down the long hall to where his room lay. Oddly, the floor seemed mostly vacant as they approached his suite. Sakura wondered whether the Hokage had him moved up here for a reason. Getting close, they could clearly hear voices raised in some sort of argument. Sakura recognized it as Naruto and the Hokage. Hesitating to enter the room in mid-yell she and Hinata paused to listen.  
  
"I'm telling you it was Setsuko!" she heard him say. "I don't forget psychopathic albino chicks who have almost killed me!"  
  
"Why would they be together though?" came Tsunade's voice.  
  
"I don't know!" said Naruto, "One of them wants dissect me the other turn me into teriyaki. You still haven't explained what he's doing..."  
  
The room became silent as Naruto's plaintive response was abruptly cutoff. Sakura looked at an anxious Hinata and got ready to knock when the Hokage spoke.  
  
"Come in Sakura."  
  
Trying not to blush with embarrassment Sakura entered the room with Hinata following at her heels. The room was wide and long with Hokage seated next the hospital bed with Naruto leaning against the opposite wall his arms folded tight crossed his chest. He had his head down and looked extremely angry with his feet for some reason.  
  
"Ahh and Hinata too," said Tsunade. The Hokage seemed both relieved and annoyed at the same. Sakura felt the palatable tension in the room and wondered idly if she would start sweating.  
  
"Well," she asked, "what did you two hear?"  
  
"Well, umm... " stammered Sakura.  
  
Hinata cut her off quickly. She hated to be rude to her friend, but Sakura had a habit of making things overcomplicated when they didn't need to be.  
  
She said, "Ahno, we just came to the door when we heard Naruto-kun mention a person named Setsuko." Her pale eyes glanced briefly in concern at him. "Also about him being... dissected and something about food." Naruto seemed to ignore the comments, but his arms flexed with strain as he folded arms even tighter. If they were still genin Sakura would have swore he was about to throw a tantrum.  
  
The Hokage's eyes locked on the dark haired kunoichi's. It was a moment that seemed hours.  
  
"Nothing else?" she asked unblinking.  
  
"That was all Hokage-sama," said Hinata firmly, Sakura nodded behind her teammate in sincere agreement.  
  
Tsunade let out a breath that seemed almost a sigh of relief. "I'm feeling very tired all of the sudden," she said pleasantly in a magical turnaround of mood. "I guess I should go get some beauty sleep and let you girls check up on our patient over here. Neji-kun's all better now and," she said turning to look down at his peaceful form, "very awake."  
  
The corners of his mouth turned up slyly as he opened his eyes. "You knew," he said sounding amused.  
  
The Hokage walked casually to the door and turned to take them all in gaze. "Naruto. You, Neji and I will continue our talk as soon as he's discharged. Good night, everyone."  
  
They were as still as statues as they watched Tsunade's departure. They remained as such while door swung to close with an almost agonizing slowness. It's latch catching reluctantly making the space private once again.  
  
Four pairs of eyes met and broke away, shifting in an instant to a face they felt comfort in seeing. Sakura moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside Neji, her hand creeping gently into his, while Hinata joined Naruto leaning against the wall. She spoke to him softly laying a hand on his arm. Her touch seemed to calm him a little, reversing his transformation into a human knot.  
  
"Let's go outside, Hinata," Naruto said. "This place is has a lot of hot air in it right now and smells like old people." He almost ran out of the room ripping the door open and striding away with Hinata moving to follow. Before she could clear the entrance way her 'brother' stopped her to address some family business.  
  
"Hinata-san," said Neji who had long ago dropped the honorific when speaking to her. "We will need to talk about this soon."  
  
A flash of something between fear and anger, yet very close to pain washed over Hinata's face as she responded.  
  
"Hai."  
  
Her footsteps faded quickly into the hall's echo leaving the remaining occupants in the returning silence.  
  
"Damn Neji," thought Sakura watching them leave. "Why can't he just let Hinata be happy."  
  
She looked down at him with an angry expression, but he was studying her hands as he held them. She tried to shrug him off but he held on. Taking his left hand he traced lightly over a thin, pink scar on her forearm.  
  
"This one is new, " he said softly.  
  
"Umm, it's just a scratch," she said. "I got it returning from Nagayama while carrying someone who was injured."  
  
"You should tell Shikamaru to be more careful, " said Neji wryly. Bringing her hand to his lips he kissed it lightly. "It changes nothing."  
  
Saying Neji had an eye for detail was a bit of an understatement. While they were dating Sakura found that he noticed every little change in appearance she made, from accessories to a new outfit, even a trim of her hair. It had almost made her even more obsessed (if that was possible) with never getting a zit. Once she teased him that he would fall out of love with her when she became a scarred and leathery old kunoichi.  
  
It was funny... remembering his response still made her feel a little flustered.  
  
"Flawless beauty like yours doesn't change with time," he said. Neji was very good at talking too. She had to remind herself how dangerous it was to let him keep talking.  
  
Sakura noticed how his eyes seemed to glow in the soft moonlight that came through the window at his bedside.  
  
"This isn't what I wanted to happen," thought Sakura. "I was concerned for him." Neji looked just fine, a lot better than fine actually. Why weren't there more lights on in this place?  
  
"I should leave, " she said aloud.  
  
"You were worried about me," he stated with a pleased smile.  
  
Sakura felt her cheeks reddening. She turned her head away, feeling self- conscious. The words stumbling from mouth, "Of course, I was, " she said.  
  
"I have other places to be right now," she thought. She needed to say goodbye politely and go.  
  
As she felt him shift a little on the bed Sakura turned back to look at him. Neji was sitting up and his face was now very close to hers... and getting closer.  
  
She was caught off guard. Before Sakura could say anything his lips met hers hungrily, driving away her ability to speak. She put her hands on his shoulders to shove him away, but instead of pushing her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt to hang on. She closed her eyes and felt herself give into his embrace. Neji's hands wrapped smoothly around her waist as he drew her closer in his arms.  
  
Sakura hadn't realized how badly she missed his affection. Over the past few months she hadn't been with anyone else and certainly hadn't let anyone, even friends, get too close. Focusing on missions and training, she felt that after ending it with him she had needed a break. She knew all along that pretending you can't feel the pain doesn't make it disappear.  
  
The kiss was bittersweet.  
  
Sakura broke away. "Neji!" she gasped sounding out of breath.  
  
Neji's mouth formed a roguish little smile as he lay back down. "The nurse doesn't come back until after ten o'clock," he told her. "Want to stay and tuck me in?"  
  
"I can't believe you," said Sakura exasperated. "You were just healed from a serious injury! What happened to you by the way?" She had to change the subject.  
  
Neji's face became serious and he sat up again. It was all a deception however as he moved in again to steal another kiss. Sakura was ready for him this time and pushed him back quickly, this time with an added groan of frustration.  
  
Neji laughed, but behaved himself. "Sorry, I can't tell you," he said, "Top secret."  
  
Sakura wasn't sure if he was hiding something or still playing around, but she really did need to leave. She tried to get up, but Neji held on to her hands.  
  
"Come on stay, I promise I'll be good," he said sincerely to her. "Please. Stay."  
  
Sakura extracted her hands and stood turning to face the bed. "I can't Neji. It's Thursday night," she said looking tiredly at him. She felt like crying, but she was done with tears when it came to him.  
  
A puzzled look appeared on Neji's face, but he came to the answer quickly without needing to ask the question. The warmth drained from his expression replaced by traces of steel seen clearly in his eyes.  
  
He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"I forgot about your charity case," he said coldly. He remembered that this was the night of the week where she went over Uchiha Sasuke's house to have dinner.  
  
Sakura didn't seem to register his response and started to leave towards the door.  
  
Neji could feel the anger building up and fought the urge to grit his teeth.  
  
"You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved Sakura." he yelled at her back.  
  
Sakura paused before opening the door and spoke without facing him. "We all have to live with our mistakes Neji," she said, "even you and me."  
  
Neji shut his eyes tightly and waited, listening for her departure. Remaining still he continued to listen as the sudden harsh silence that had threaded the evening's events together returned to the room.  
  
He didn't understand until that very moment how much he hated Uchiha. The thought of losing her to him was more painfully than the hundreds of imagined stabs his twisted brother had made him experience with the sharingan, ...a lot worse.  
  
As he escaped into sleep, Neji offered himself one small comfort.  
  
"Still," he thought, "she did kiss me back."  
  
__________________________________  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	12. Singing with Eel

A/N: Thanks so much to those who review! I really appreciate seeing all your comments because helps kick me in the butt to keep going. I plan on editing too, Really! I'm not lying!  
  
This is a long chapter from Iruka's POV (he's a pensive kinda guy) and yes there is implied kakairu again, no lemon, so while you don't need to read, you'll miss some important stuff and some fun!  
  
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Chapter 12 – Singing with Eel  
  
"Can I have another please?" asked Iruka politely, waving at the bartender.  
  
The man smiled and came over to refresh the young sensei's drink. "You don't normally go this many rounds before dinner. Everything alright sensei?" he asked amiably.  
  
Iruka place a hand behind his head and grinned. "I know, I just had a rough day! I'll be ordering food in a little bit."  
  
The man nodded in understanding and moved back down the long stretch of bar to serve other customers and give Iruka the privacy he appeared to crave. Iruka was a regular visitor to this restaurant. It was nice, affordable, and sat on a corner only a couple of blocks from his apartment, which made it very convenient. For the past few years, everytime payday rolled around, Iruka had gotten into the habit of treating himself to dinner here.  
  
However, he rarely had guests with him. It was almost as if solitude was a ritual part of the meal. The chef, a loud happy fellow, would alway joke with him that they were going to add a 'dolphin' roll to menu in his honor. Iruka would also laugh and always say he would be very honored as long as they didn't use real dolphin.  
  
The chunnin stared into his drink for a long while. His stare fixed, watching the ice fade slowly, dissolving into the pale liquid, dying with that tiny squeaky crunching sound as it decayed to its watery form. The cold seeped through the sweating glass and robbed his fingers of warmth. He slipped into oblivion as his thoughts flew elsewhere.  
  
The events of his day's end replayed endlessly. The sequence unchangeable despite his desire to see it otherwise. Time was like painting with watercolors in a way. Once you moved on from your yellows to your reds you couldn't go back. Iruka realized missed painting, it was a nice distraction sometimes.  
  
"What does that boy live for now?" he thought.  
  
Today was his weekly review with his charge, Uchiha Sasuke. The eighteen year old who was still a mystery to Iruka even after dozens of hours of observation. It was delusional on his part, but Iruka still liked to think of himself as Sasuke's teacher. He knew of course it was only because the other more appropriate labels had left a sour taste in his mouth.  
  
Anyone else would have used the right words. Without hesitation they would have called him his parole officer or even worse, his warden. It wasn't anyone's fault. The Hokage had made perhaps the only decision she could once Sasuke was brought back.  
  
In a trial of disaffected calculation, Iruka ran through the alternatives that were all considered back then. Memories, which even three years later still tickled his gag reflex in a wave of nausea.  
  
"Orochimaru's interest in him was dangerous," they said, "... he should be eliminated....too valuable... he could be forced to reproduce... have his eyes extracted... it's been done before...but with Itachi gone... perhaps...then... all the Uchiha should be."  
  
Iruka shuddered involuntarily, the remains of ice tinkling in his glass marking the tremors.  
  
After much deliberation the decision was finally made to keep Sasuke alive and intact. Along with it came a decree that last of the Uchiha could not leave Konohagakure upon pain of death. It was an order sealed to all the adults of the village as only the Leaf's dirtiest little secrets were.  
  
"I'm being too negative." Iruka thought. The Hokage wouldn't have let those dire things happen unless it was unavoidable and they had been. Over time Sasuke was relieved of house arrest and allowed to help in teaching at the Academy under his supervision. Ino and Rock Lee had helped out and soon Sasuke's life was given some sembelance of normalcy.  
  
To everyone's surprise he had seemed to embrace it, but only to a point.  
  
Iruka was still haunted by the end of today's conversation.  
  
"Did you enjoy the field trip with Ino and the children, Sasuke?" he had asked.  
  
"I enjoy the kids a lot, Iruka-sensei," responded Sasuke. Though he'd grown accustomed to his manner, Iruka was still amazed at differences in Sasuke the child versus Sasuke the young man. His meek, polite manner rivaled Hyuga Hinata's.  
  
They all look up to you, Sasuke-kun," Iruka told him, "It's an important obligation being a teacher to academy students because you become their role model, their measure of what growing up means."  
  
"Hai, sensei."  
  
"I'm sorry to lecture you," Iruka had apologized. "I'm sure you were happy to be given permission to go outside the village walls. You see, I told you that as you demonstrate your responsibility and good character the Hokage would give you more freedom."  
  
Iruka took a long swallow from his glass and let the burning sensation clear the catch building in his throat.  
  
Sasuke had looked at him then with that pleasant, kind smile of his. It was an expression that seemed to brighten his whole face; the one that made all the little girls swoon and the little boys grin sheepishly.  
  
His words had been a mockery of that smile.  
  
"A cage is still a cage Iruka-sensei, even if you can't see the bars," he had said.  
  
A hand placed on his shoulder roused Iruka from his worrisome stupor. "Drinking alone, Iruka?" came a slightly smoky, feminine voice beside his ear.  
  
Iruka turned in surprise to find Yuuhi Kurenai smiling at him.  
  
"Ahh, Kurenai-san. Konbanwa."  
  
She sat on the stool next to him. "So formal! Just call me Kurenai. The fact we are both willing to talk to Anko in public makes us more than acquaintances." Her deep red eyes filled with mischief at the jab.  
  
Iruka's mouth twisted out its smile. "Anko-san, ahhh, ... is she joining you?" Like a summoning, the poor fellow caught hearty slap on the back as the other woman draped herself on his other side.  
  
"How's it hanging, Iruka-kun! Got a hot date lined up?"  
  
Iruka felt the sweat start form on his forehead.  
  
"H-Hello Anko-san. Ahno, no, I was just about to treat myself to a nice sushi dinner after a long week."  
  
Kurenai briefly eyed the glass in his hand before leaning an elbow on the bar to look at them both. She looked up suspiciously at him, like he was hiding something.  
  
"Why don't you join us?" she offered brightly."We all had the day off so we went over to Tanza. There Asuma lost a bet to Anko on a dog race so we came here to collect on dinner."  
  
Iruka was a little more aware of his surroundings now that he'd been attacked by the two women. They all looked over towards the door expectantly before it opened. Asuma Sarutobi entered raising his hand with friendly wave followed by another gentleman. When Iruka spied the tuft of silvery hair over Asuma's shoulder he could barely suppress a groan. He did not need to deal with that guy tonight.  
  
"Oi, Anko" Asuma said,"You invited Iruka too! Am I treating half the village?"  
  
Anko leaned over Iruka's back almost pulling him off the stool to stick her tongue out at the tall jounin sensei. The academy sensei gripped the bar for dear life.  
  
"Don't be stingy, Asuma! You lost fair and square!" yelled Anko.  
  
"If it's a problem, I'm happy to leave..." said Iruka still with a deathgrip on the counter.  
  
Kurenai laid a hand on his arm and shook her head in apology at the misunderstanding.  
  
Asuma quickly corrected, "No, no Iruka, I'm sorry to be rude. I was just teasing Anko." He jerked a thumb at Kakashi next to him with a wry grin. "Fair and square? This one told me the race was a sure thing and instead I nearly lost my shirt."  
  
For the first time, Iruka allowed himself to look at Kakashi. The masked nin looked almost small next to the towering Asuma, yet his dull bored looking expression didn't alter as Iruka stared at him. The chuunin relaxed a little. "Oh good," he thought, "He's not acting all weird... maybe this won't be so bad."  
  
With everyone's attention turned to him, Kakashi dug his hands his pockets and shrugged noncommittally. "I put Pakkun in the race, "he said, "to drive up the stakes. Because he's little and doesn't look very fast, but well, he's been fighting off a cold... and they had some pretty fast dogs there." His shameless grin seeped through his mask. "I guess we weren't the only ones with a ringer in there!"  
  
"Serves you both right," said Kurenai with laugh very much like her voice, low and charming. She stood and turned toward the hostess as she approached them.  
  
The woman bowed. "Your private table is ready ma'am."  
  
The party moved to follow her as she led them to the far side of the restaurant and back along a short hallway. Sliding open a door that blended almost seamlessly with the wall, the hostess moved aside inviting them to be seated in the small dining room.  
  
Anko pushed forward to get her first choice. "Come on, Iruka," she said dragging him along with her, "sit next to me!" Iruka stumbled over the low table and slid in with her, rubbing the shin he abused as she pulled him down.  
  
"Since I'm a leftie when I eat," offered Kakashi taking the opposite side from them, "I'll sit on this side."  
  
Kurenai sat down neatly to Iruka's other side and Asuma filled in next to Kakashi. Once they were situated a waitress came up to ask if they were comfortable and to tell them the specials for the evening.  
  
As the server finished Kurenai looked around the table. "It all sounds good. What should we get?" she asked.  
  
"We'll since I'm treating," said Asuma, "I want some Bulgogi." (bulgogi = Korean BBQ)  
  
"You're no fun, you always get the same thing." pouted Anko, "Iruka what did you want?"  
  
Iruka rubbed his neck in a reflex, still slightly uncomfortable with the unexpected situation of dining with four jounin. "Umm...the barbacued eel is very good here..."  
  
"The eel sounded good to me too," said Kakashi. Iruka smiled at him, relieved someone shared his tastes, then quickly averted his gaze to look at Anko as he felt a blush rising up.  
  
"Why am I blushing?" the chuunin thought, "I'm being ridiculous, Kakashi- san has probably forgotten about the prank he pulled already."  
  
Kurenai gave the waitress the full order once they all agreed. The young lady bowed and asked, "Would you like anything to drink, ma'am?"  
  
Asuma perked up. "I'll have a beer and also we'll need an ashtray, " he pointing at the cigarette he was about to light.  
  
"I'd like..." began Kakashi. Before he could finish his speech was arrested when Anko placed her hand over his mask.  
  
"Who cares what you want Kakashi!" she said obnoxiously. "What do you want to have, Iruka?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Iruka blinked at her. It had been a while since he'd been exposed to Anko's disturbing mood swings. He knew deep down Anko was a very serious person and given how Orchimaru had used her and tossed her away like trash when she was a thirteen year old genin, most ninja put up with her volatile behavior kindly. He also knew that she somehow blamed herself for the evil sennin's creation of his atrocious jutsu which stole a person's body. It was her desire to keep living with the seal that had advanced his research to the next level. It showed others would too, others like Sasuke. Her crazy behavior and carefree outlook on life allowed her to fight against the darkness and depression she felt well up from such a past. She was a lot like Naruto in that way.  
  
Watching Kakashi's eyebrow arch in puzzlement as he looked at Anko's hand covering his mouth almost made Iruka burst out laughing.  
  
Trying keep a straight face, Iruka answered, "I don't know, ah..."  
  
"I know!" interrupted Anko excitedly as she retrieved her hand from Kakashi's face.  
  
"Let's get sake! How about it, Kurenai? Come on!"  
  
The other woman looked at her in dismay for a moment, but then assented. "Hai, hai, As long as it's not plum. Plum sake gives me issues."  
  
"Yay! Everyone's getting sake!" cheered Anko.The waitress bowed and glided away gracefully fill their order.  
  
As they waited the four senior ninja all recounted tales of their day in Tanza to Iruka. Kurenai poked fun at Anko, explaining to Iruka what a challenge sharing an apartment with her was. Anko defended herself of course saying that at least she did her chores most of the time and that if Kurenai didn't like it she could move in with her boyfriend, the human chimney.  
  
The jab scored points as Kurenai and Asuma produced flustered looks. Their hush-hush relationship was about as secret as the Hokage's age. Kakashi pointed out the obvious saying that he was sure the rent was cheaper with a roommate and asked Asuma out of the blue if he'd would be interested in rooming with him. Both Anko and Kurenai laughed so hard they were crying. They teased that between the stench of old cigarette butts and Kakashi's ponderous collection of hentai manga strewn about the place they'd never get anyone to visit them. Both men didn't seem that put off by the idea, who said they wanted visitors anyway.  
  
Iruka just listened for the most part. The jounins' cammaderie had started back when they all took their first genin assignments not so long ago and it had gelled into a tight knit group of friends. It was pretty rare to see a jounin have any true friends. Friends ended up being emotional liabilities to ninja as death too often took them away from you. There was no training to prepare you for their loss, no jutsu to ease your pain as you buried them.  
  
These guys had beat those odds and it was a atmosphere Iruka enjoyed being around.  
  
The sake and food arrived quickly and everyone dug in, Anko attacked the rice wine more than the food and seemed obsessed with Iruka's progress.  
  
"Come Iruka, drink with me!" she yelled in his ear.  
  
"Ha, ha, sorry Anko, I had a head start on you remember, I want to eat more first."  
  
Iruka went to grabbed some of the eel sushi he'd ordered when he noticed almost half the plate was gone. He grabbed a piece and watched the plate as he chewed to catch who the eel 'hog' was.  
  
He pretended to look over at Asuma who was talking when he saw Kakashi's chopstick's dart out and snag a piece.  
  
"I'll finally get to see his face," Iruka thought.  
  
He learned soon that wouldn't be the case. Kakashi brought the sushi up just above his head then in the fluid motion pulled his mask away from his face and tilted back to let the sushi drop in. The material snapped back in place lightly as the one-eye nin chewed contentedly.  
  
Kurenai leaned over to Iruka's ear as he gawked in astonishment at the process. "I see this is your first time witnessing Kakashi's "garbage pail" technique, "she commented. Iruka nodded still watching.  
  
"Well," she confided, "you're not going to see beneath his mask that way, but there are other ways to get him to... expose himself." Kurenai's tone was completely scandalous. Iruka turned to her with an appalled look.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" he said to her.  
  
She smiled like a cat and pointed back to the table. "You'd better stay sharp or Kakashi's going to suck up all your eel!"  
  
He was blushing again he realized, he hated that. He looked back and saw there were only four pieces left and a happily munching masked jounin.  
  
"God dammit," he thought. Iruka scarfed up two pieces as Kakashi score another.  
  
The lone piece sat on the plate as Iruka swallowed hurriedly and reach for the last piece. He secured the piece but as he tried to pick it up another set of chopsticks latched on.  
  
"Iruka, gomen, I didn't realized you wanted his piece," said Kakashi.  
  
"Iie, no worries Kakashi-san," Iruka said pleasantly with his eyes glaring. Despite Kakashi's chivalrous words the grip on this sushi was like iron.  
  
The two stayed locked as Iruka tried to free his sushi from the villan's grasp.  
  
Iruka gritted his teeth. "I can't budge," he thought.  
  
Anko who had consumed enough sake equal to the rest the table's population woke up from the little nap she was taking. "Yay!" she cheered, seeing the two nins in a deadlock, "Chopstick Battle!"  
  
She grabbed her utensils and stabbed towards the food. Iruka lurched with effort trying to lift the poor eel roll from the complete anniliation Anko's involvment brought. Kakashi seemed to agree and together they raised their locked chopsticks to safety as Anko's hand impacted with splintering wood on the plate.  
  
A lone chopstick shot through the air and like a shruiken sliced through the eel splitting it in two. Iruka's arm recoiled with his half a piece in hand and turned to see Asuma smile at them and making the peace sign. Kakashi chuckled at the result and devoured his half. The chuunin could only do the same.  
  
The meal was mostly finished when Anko got a second wind.  
  
"Bored now." she complained. Leaning over she dug under the table for something and came up with a triumphant look that elicited a collective groan from the other three jounin.  
  
"Karaoke!" she squealed. In her hands was a little Karaoke player that he learned from the others was her pride and joy. She immediately jumped in to setting it up before anyone could say more.  
  
"The problem is, "Kurenai said to him in a hushed tone, "Anko's the only one who wants to sing."  
  
Iruka teased, "I'll be happy to sing, but I'd need a little more sake first."  
  
Asuma's eyes lit up as he moved to pour Iruka another cup, despite the other man's protest. "Well, come on man, drink up! Anko doesn't have the best voice in the world. You'll at least break it up before her encore get's ear splitting."  
  
Iruka had stuck his foot in mouth and now all three jounin pressing him. He was still reluctant until the first strains of a tune were coming from the little player. Anko's 'on again, off again' relationship with melody soon became quite apparent.  
  
He needed little prompting after that.  
  
~~~~~~~ +++ ~~~~~~~~  
  
The night air felt wonderfully cool to Iruka as he was carried outside piggyback by Kakashi. Kurenai following right behind the pair with Anko being carted in like fashion by Asuma.  
  
"Bye-Bye! Iruka-kun!" yelled Anko from two feet away.  
  
"Bye-Bye! Anko-chan!" yelled Iruka back. The chuunin sensei was plastered. "Guess it time to put the kids to bed," said Kakashi jokingly.  
  
Kurenai put her hand over her mouth to hide the smile. "Hai, hai" said Asuma, "Have a good night, fellas."  
  
"Don't you doing anything to Iruka-kun, Kakashi!" said Anko heatedly, "I know how your dirty, little mind works.. Ack! the world is spinning! Kurenai it's some powerful genjutsu! Quick counter.."  
  
Asuma and Kurenai who had turned and began walking while Anko was still speaking faded away into the night along with her non-stop yammering.  
  
Kakashi sighed and turned to stroll the opposite way.  
  
Iruka suddenly realized he didn't know where they were going. "Where are you taking me Kakashi?" he yelled.  
  
"I'm going to drop you in that trash can over there if you scream in my ear again," the jounin said with slight menace.  
  
"Of course, if it gets back to Anko there be some explaining to do and that could get messy." Kakashi gave a slight chuckle at the thought of that predicament. "I didn't know you two were that close. She's very protective of you."  
  
Iruka was thrown off by the talkative scarecrow. "She's always been that way... since we were kids, "he mumbled. However, Kakashi made no sign that he'd heard Iruka and continued to casually walk in the direction of Iruka's home.  
  
"I didn't know you had such a good singing voice," he said, complimenting his parcel.  
  
"I'm not that good, "said Iruka modestly before turning evil, "It's just Anko sounds like a cat that's been stepped on." The two laugh softly. "Why didn't you take a turn?"  
  
"Oh, me," said Kakashi humorously, "I sort of sound like a crow... that's been stepped on." They laughed again.  
  
The silver haired man began to hum along to a tune from earlier in the night's little concert.  
  
"That final song you did with both Anko and Kurenai was catchy," he said to Iruka, "It was foreign, right? How did it go?"  
  
Kakashi began to sing in a baritone accompied by a little dancing that bounced Iruka up and down.  
  
"'Sitting on a mountaintop'..."  
  
"Ka...ka... shi!"  
  
"'Burning like a silver'...."  
  
"Stop it!... Please!"  
  
"'goddess of...' "  
  
"I'm gonna be sick!!"  
  
Kakashi chuckled a little, ending his sadistic fun to return walking Iruka homeward. He didn't bothering his passenger with anymore conversation.  
  
Sure that the jounin had finally stopped dancing, Iruka relaxed and let his head rest on the larger man's shoulder. The silence gave him the opportunity to note some things about this annoying, mysterious man upclose. Iruka could feel the power his body held as he shifted underneath him in walking, but that was to be expected of a jounin.  
  
It was other things that intrigued him. With his ear against him Iruka could hear Kakashi's heartbeat as it ran just slower than his own with a deeper rythym cycling in and out with his breaths, long and steady. His unusually colored hair, appeared completely natural and not dyed which someone might think at first glance. Iruka moved his head a little so his cheek could brush up against it and he was surprised how soft it felt. He sort of expected it to be coarse and to smell bad. Actually it didn't smell bad at all... just the opposite.  
  
He looked up a little and noticed Kakashi's ear, the tiny hairs on it reflecting in the moonlight. Lookin at it Iruka felt the strongest urge to blow on it lightly. He knew he shouldn't as he breathed in anyway.  
  
Alas, Iruka's playtime was brought to an abrupt close as he fell onto something hitting down hard. He exhaled in shock as Kakashi stood over him  
  
"Ride's over," Iruka's former bearer informed him.  
  
Iruka saw he was dropped onto the park bench infront of his apartment. "Oww! What the hell did you do that for?" he asked Kakashi.  
  
"I told you to get down twice," the jounin said calmly, "but you seemed to be in your own little world."  
  
Iruka thought was lying, he was sure he'd have heard him. "I should have known you'd be an asshole even taking me home," Iruka spat back.  
  
The foul language out of the normally polite man amused the jounin. "Well someone gets a potty mouth when he's tipsy. " Kakashi said mockingly crossing his arms. "I am sure your years of ninja training can get you up the steps and through the door. Or did you expect me to put you in your pajamas and tuck you in too?"  
  
Iruka's mouth worked, but no words came out, an all too familiar redness flooding his face.  
  
Kakashi put his foot on the bench next Iruka and bent in close to bring his masked face nose to nose with Iruka. "Isn't that what you wanted to happen?" he asked playfully.  
  
Iruka's eyes widened fearful as he tried lean back further. "I don't know what your talking about. You're insane," he yelled.  
  
Kakashi said, "No I'm not. You couldn't take your eyes off me all night." The jounin looked down briefly then smiled widely under his camoflage. He moved in an unhurriedly fashion to get up and walk away.  
  
"Don't be afraid, Iruka. I want you to be eager, willing and completely sober," he said as he departed. "You and your little 'friend' have a good night."  
  
Iruka was confused. "My little friend?" He looked down at his lap and spied what Kakashi had earlier. He turned the color of a beet with a groan.  
  
"Screw you, Kakashi!"  
  
"Hai, hai, another time," the scarecrow-nin called back with a wave. "Sweet dreams, Iruka-kun."  
  
Iruka was steaming and knowing he should just shut up, he screamed one more thing at the retreating figure.  
  
"And my 'friend's' not little!"  
  
As it hit Iruka that he just publicly defended his manhood at 2 o'clock in morning on a bench in front of his house, he laid back, arching over of the bench in disgust. With his arms hanging, he watched his house from an upside down perspective praying silently that his landlady, Ms. Tanaka had not been awaked by his tirade.  
  
He waited till the danger time had passed then dragged himself up to his waiting bed . Getting ready to go to sleep, Iruka continued to grumble to himself about how his night had been hijacked and how a certain bastard with a shitty grin tortured him all the way home.  
  
Later, as he passed out, the tightness and creases of worry melted from the young sensei's face replaced with a wide contented smile. It was a smile that betrayed the happiness he'd gotten out of his hijacked evening and it was accompanied with a small wish that more unexpected things like that would happen in the future.  
  
__________________________________  
  
To Be Continued  
  
The dreaded sasusaku next chapter!  
  
A/N: I made a choice not to go all leather and trapezes (zes..zes) on the character hook-ups in this story, so if you want the NC-17 detail you'll need to use your own ero-imagination. (I certainly do!)  
  
Yes, that was a (bad) 80's song reference. Yes, I've watched too much Buffy, slayer of the vampyres. and I like British people. 


	13. Cheesecake

A/N: Woohoo! Classes are over! What a sucky semester I had.  
  
Chapters 10 through 13 all happen in the same night, I didn't plan on two of these chapters but the nights are more fun to write than the days anyway!  
  
Also I've decided to be more liberal with the personalities of some characters since they've aged (and maybe even matured!), but hey that's what fanfic is for!  
  
FYI: Chapter 2 describes that Sasuke looks different now.  
  
[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]

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Chapter 13 – Cheesecake  
  
Sakura hated being late.  
  
She supposed it was due to her dislike for breaking the rules. Since she was little she always tried to do the "proper" thing and that meant obeying her parents, respecting teachers and helping those classmates less fortunate than her. She liked to be praised by everyone as the 'good' girl, the one whom her mother's friend would point to and whose daughters' would glare at with daggers of jealousy.  
  
"_It's probably Kakashi-sensei's fault_," she decided. His poor punctuality when he was her genin sensei had made the vein on forehead appear regularly. She had spent a small fortune on foundation makeup to cover it and another small fortune on the acne cream she had to use because of that. Beauty care was a challenge even for the naturally endowed.  
  
Once Sakura got within three blocks of Sasuke's house she moved to the streets, slowing her pace. The Anbu who observed his residence didn't allow anyone to approach from a vantage above the ground. The sentries by now were used to her visits and it had been months since Sakura had even sensed them, but it was plain stupid to take a chance like that. If she made a mistake, it would be painfully clear the Anbu were still around.  
  
She approached the door of a large well-kept looking residence, the only one on the street with light emanating from its windows. It was strange at first to notice that only one person lived on this particular street in Konoha. The dozen or so lifeless houses that surrounded it lay in mute testament to the once proud clan that had resided here, where a single remnant of that clan still clung on in his way.  
  
Such unpleasant thoughts caused a shiver to run its course through Sakura as she shook off the discomforting feeling. She scolded herself mutely, "_The least I can do is act normal for him_."  
  
A step before she could knock the door opened with Sasuke standing in the entrance way. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose in annoyance.  
  
"Hi!" say Sakura cheerily. "Sorry about the time!"  
  
Sasuke turned away, his response trailing in his wake.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Sakura followed him closing the door so it wouldn't slam.  
  
Except for his bedroom, Sasuke had everything on the ground floor his house. The rooms of his parents and sibling were so off limits they might as well have been stuck in a space-time jutsu. It had been his idea to move back into his clan's estate. As a genin he had a nice apartment at the other end of the village, the cost of which was covered by the clan's treasury, yet since his return the Hokage had let him stay here.  
  
As Sakura approached the kitchen behind him the smell of garlic drifted teasingly into her nose. Sasuke only knew how to cook one thing it seemed and that was pasta. It was the main reason they alternated doing the cooking when she visited. Sasuke also liked a lot of garlic in his tomato sauce.  
  
Sakura was about to tell him that too much garlic was a sure way to drive a girl away when divine providence struck. She realized that it might be an inappropriate thing to say. Quietly, she followed him to the small kitchen table where two plates of spaghetti steamed away lightly with tall, sweaty glasses of iced lemonade in tow. Everything looked like it had just been put out instead of being over two hours old.  
  
"It looks great," said Sakura trying not to sound insincere... which of course only increased the fake pleasantness in her voice.  
  
Sasuke ignored her and moved around the table to sit on the opposite side. His eyes fixed were on his plate in a deliberate fashion as he picked up his utensils and dug in. Sakura sat down quickly to join him, hoping he wasn't "wall" boy all through dinner. His quiet, sullen moods while rarer now than years ago, but they were still something to watch out for.  
  
She put the glass of lemonade to her lips and took a swallow of the cold drink. Uchiha lemonade was always a tad too sour for her taste and she often wondered what Sasuke had against things being sugary.  
  
"So how is Neji doing in the hospital?" Sasuke asked casually out of the blue.  
  
Sakura became wide-eyed with shock and she gasped in mid-swallow almost dropping her glass.  
  
"That is why you are late, correct?" he said looking up with a small wicked smile.  
  
Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, she tried control her choking coughs.  
  
"How... [cough] did you know... [cough]?"  
  
Sasuke put down his knife and fork and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin before reclining back to survey his quarry. With his elbows on the table he folded his hands in front of him level with his mouth. Neji had once told Sakura that people always hid a body part when they lied. Either hands behind the back, one foot behind the other or covering some part of the face... fortunately Sakura did need to read body language to know what Sasuke was about to deliver would be a crock of crap.  
  
He was enjoying himself too much.  
  
"Actually I have you followed," Sasuke told her menacingly. "The Anbu who used to guard me are now under my total control." Letting the sinister moment of uncertainty thicken he paused before adding, "I... know.... everything."  
  
Sakura stared at him. Her face was a flash of serious wonderment before transforming into a look of disbelief. She crumbled up her napkin threw at his head laughing at him.  
  
"You're such a dork!" she exclaimed.  
  
Sasuke ducked the shot at his head began to laugh himself. His breathy, barely audible laugh was the equivalent of Naruto's ear shattering guffaw. Still Sasuke's ability to laugh at all was a minor miracle. It was only after accepting his brother's death at Tsunade's hand that it had even been possible for him to learn to be more human.  
  
It was a slow process.  
  
"Ok, ok," he said throwing his hands up. He scooted his chair in a little closer, "Well actually, Lee saw Kiba when they got back to the village, who told Tenten who stopped by the academy to tell Ino who made sure I knew, so I'd be prepared when you were late." Sasuke picked up his utensils to eat again as he added cleverly, "Both you and Neji are very predictable."  
  
Sakura felt her face coloring as she folded hers arm crossed her chest. It had been a while since Inner-Sakura had voiced an opinion, but she clearly heard, "Damn you Ino-pig!" echo in the back of her head.  
  
"And what does that mean?!" she asked.  
  
Sasuke finished chewing his pasta in a calm fashion before answering.  
  
He explained, "Oh, you know, where Neji confesses his undying love for you and then makes a bad pass at you while you act all indecisive which of course he then interprets as a scoring opportunity.... Rinse. Repeat."  
  
Sakura stared at him stiffly this time. Somewhere along the line the conversation had stopped being funny.  
  
"That's not fair," she said in a tight voice.  
  
"It's true," he replied coolly.  
  
They resumed eating with eyes downcast as a new awkwardness settled in. Sakura was very tired and she certainly didn't need to run halfway around the village at close to midnight so some passive-aggressive bastard could feed her crappy spaghetti and insult her.  
  
She stewed angrily for a bit until her mind wandered off for a distraction  
  
"_It's almost like he's jealous_," she thought. "_Except who wanted to be 'just friends' in the first place. He could just hate Neji, but that seems too simple... Ino likes Neji a lot, but doesn't think he's good for me.... She likes Sasuke too.... Shikamaru finds Neji annoying, but Shikamaru finds Sasuke annoying... of course, Shikamaru also finds breathing annoying..._."  
  
Sakura's train of thought spiraled away, eating mechanically she continued on.  
  
"_Maybe Sasuke's gay... That would be an easy answer... Kiba could magically come out of the closet and declare Sasuke his one true love.... It could work. Kiba's tall, rough looking, loud... Sasuke's certainly got the bishonen look down... They'd be the perfect couple... They even have their surrogate child, Akamaru...the way Kiba's always giving Hinata and Naruto that 'hurt' look it probably won't happen...perhaps Kakashi sensei...except from what Ino says Iruka-sensei is already circling him for the kill..._"  
  
A voice from the outside rudely interrupted her inner dialogue.  
  
"Sakura, are you ok?" Sasuke asked, finished his meal.  
  
Focusing on Sasuke' face Sakura was oblivious to the fact she was chewing with her mouth open. She paused with her maw gaping at his inspection.  
  
Sasuke looked away disturbed by Sakura's "see-food" expression and got up to put his plate in the sink.  
  
"Hey, "he said, "If you don't like it, I've told you that you can do all the cooking."  
  
Sakura composed herself with a quick swallow as her mind latched onto a new topic.  
  
"How do you feel about cheesecake, Sasuke?" she asked.  
  
"Huh?" he replied as he started to clean his dish. Sakura was thinking he realized, always dangerous.  
  
"See, "she said, "the way I see it. There are two kinds of people in this world. The people who like cheesecake and the people who don't."  
  
"Sakura, I'm allergic to cheese. It's why I don't use shaky cheese in the sauce," said Sasuke dismissively.  
  
"You're missing the point, Sasuke," Sakura continued raising her finger for emphasis. "There's nothing wrong with cheesecake. But some people love cheesecake, while other people hate cheesecake. And still other people feel only so-so about cheesecake."  
  
"Were you exposed to anything at the hospital?" Sasuke countered.  
  
"No, but you get my point, right? That what people think about cheesecake has nothing to do with cheesecake being cheesecake."  
  
"You're insane," he told her.  
  
Sakura nodded, "Fine, point taken. But it makes sense right?"  
  
"Mou! If it will make you feel better, sure Sakura. Despite people's opinions cheesecake can only be cheesecake."  
  
"Thank you, Sasuke! See! I feel better now. Don't worry I'll do the dishes. Just go relax outside. It's such a beautiful night."  
  
Sasuke wandered out to his front porch muttering something about mental patients traveling in groups as Sakura bounced up to clear the table.  
  
Sakura hummed happily to herself as she straightened and put away the dishes. She refused to let Sasuke drive her away again. He could be cold, snide and sarcastic. It didn't matter to her. She saw the good in him despite it all and wanted to help him to be 'ok' again, maybe for the first time since he was eight. He hadn't mentioned escaping from Konoha a long time and it was over a year since he said he wanted to die. Sakura knew he was improving. Ino had warned repeatedly about becoming his emotional "punching bag" again, but she wasn't going to give up. Somehow as his friend she'd help him learn to live with all that had happened to him.  
  
"He'll learn to be happy or I'll kill him," Sakura said to herself happily and given his inability to access chakra she had at least a decent shot at one side of that promise.  
  
Sakura closed the cabinet as she put away the last few dishes. She walked towards where Sasuke would be and paused at the door. With his glasses place to the side and his hair loose Sasuke was sitting cross- legged up the night sky. Sakura waited. She knew he frequently meditated now and even once asked him why. He told it was to gain "peace of mind".  
  
"_The way he's obsessed with it you'd think he was going become a monk_," Sakura thought. "It alm_ost looks like he's training chakra... but that's impossible_."

Sakura only caught the occasional glimpse of the second seal that Tsunade placed on him after he was brought back. Whatever it was it looked both ugly and permanent. It was what had shut away his ability to mold chakra completely.  
  
"I can't concentrate with you staring at me," Sasuke said remaining stonily in his pose.  
  
Sakura walked outside and took a deep, cleansing breath. With a sigh she plopped beside him. "Then don't," she told him pointedly.  
  
Sasuke surprisingly smiled at her beside him and relaxed. Leaning back he gazed up into the night sky which led Sakura to look up too. The summer sky was crystal clear tonight.The stars shone with a white fire on blue black sky. Lounging together, the mild breeze washed over them with a dreamy coolness.  
  
"What's that constellation?" Sakura asked pointing up.  
  
"I've told you before," he said.  
  
"I forgot," she said.  
  
"You're a bad liar, Sakura." replied Sasuke dryly, but he consented. "That chain of three bigger stars right there is called the Summer Triad. You see around this time ever summer. The one on the right is called Alta and the one on the other side of there is Tanuta. The story goes that Alta wanted Tanuta for his bride, but that third star above them was her father and..."  
  
Sakura moved over closer to Sasuke while he talked laying her head on his shoulder. This was the only touching he would ever allow. She had discovered by accident a short time ago that he loved stargazing as kid. Now on evenings like this she would ask him about the stars and constellations. It amazed her how much he knew. Listening to the enjoyment in his voice it gave her the confidence that things would all workout.  
  
Sasuke was getting to her favorite apart of the story where the girl sneaks away from her father to see her true love as her eyelids unbidden slid slowly down over her eyes.

Sasuke knowing she was asleep, but kept talking anyway. Sakura would be mad at him if he didn't finish it.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: I will be putting in extra effort to finish. I really don't want my unfinished story to have a birthday!


	14. Slippery When Wet

A/N: I'm trying to keep the characters true to their portrayal in Kishimoto- san's manga, but it's hard with scenes like this one because none of the characters ever wake up in bed together.  
  
The plot thickens, Enjoy!  
  
[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]

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Chapter 14 – Slippery When Wet  
  
Shikamaru woke from a sound sleep in confusion as his body reacted to something loud coming from the outside. Sitting upright with eyes wide open his mind was slow to grasp what had happened.  
  
"What was that noise?" said Ino asking aloud the question that was still forming in his mind. She sat up next to him on the bed pulling the covers up and looking around.  
  
The adrenaline rush of the abrupt wake up call helped to wash away his grogginess quickly. They had heard the glass doors to his porch balcony rattle with a bang, like someone had thrown a rock. Shikamaru was sure that there had been a deeper rumble under that, which meant an explosion.  
  
"I'm not sure, but we should find out." he responded in delay. The chuunin jumped to his feet. As the bedsheets slipped away Shikamaru realized that the air was unusual cool this morning. This also led him to another discovery.  
  
"But, first!" he declared raising his index finger for emphasis, "I need to put some shorts on." Shikamaru wandered off his bed to find some clothes in his many piles, employing his tried and true technique for summoning underwear.  
  
"Here pants, pants, pants...," he chanted.  
  
Ino ignored the antics of her naked boyfriend and pulling up the covers around her walked over to pull the curtains aside. She looked out the sliding doors for any sign of what had happened. A gasp escaped Ino's lips as she took in the scene of the distance.  
  
"Oh Shikamaru!" she exclaimed, "The Hokage's house is burning!"  
  
Ino stared in horror at the picture. While no flames were visible, thick rolls of inky, black smoke hid the highest floors of Tsunade's residence. She could not rip her eyes away from it as she felt Shikamaru move to stand behind her. Fully clothed with his ninja gear on and he put his arms around her. Hugging her close he spoke, "Get ready in case the warning sirens sound. If we go to level two, I'll see you at the evacuation shelter."  
  
Ino reached up a hand up to caress his face as she felt him kiss her on the neck. Her fingers caressed his cheek as he vanished, before her hand collapsing to her shoulder with his departure. With her gaze still transfixed, Ino wrapped her arms around herself. She found herself already missing his embrace. It was an ache which froze her for a time.  
  
"Yosh!" Ino said to herself firmly, snapping out of her worry. She tore her eyes from the unfolding spectacle and threw off the bed sheet with a flourish. She knew she could not waste any time as she prepared for the worst, praying it would never come.  
  
Shikamaru ran swiftly along the rooftops, moving like an arrow towards the Hokage's residence. Nearing the smoky area he paused two streets away from his destination. He stared hard at the tall chimney of the house ahead and waited.  
  
_"They've already setup a perimeter," he thought with relief, "that's good, it means she must still be there."_ Knowing Tsunade was alive was a good start, but he still needed to find out what happened. He had a strong suspicion this was all related to that little package he had delivered her.  
  
Shikamaru didn't wait long before a shape emerged from behind the chimney to reveal a animal masked-nin. The mask kept the young chuunin from recognizing who the Anbu was, but as a sigh that escaped from the masked man it hinted that he recognized Shikamaru.  
  
"Yo," said Shikamaru neutrally before shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to appear anxious, but it would be a real pain if this guy didn't let him approach. The man scratched his fingers through his bright reddish hair and stared back. It seemed to Shikamaru he was thinking a little too hard about this.  
  
"Why not..." he said finally putting his hands up, "I guess you might as well go in too, since half the village is already there anyways."  
  
Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he nodded and sprinted away to finish the last leg of his journey. He landed in front of what was once the front door to the Hokage's house and immediately grabbed a hold of his nose to ward away the sudden intense smell of charred wood and burnt hair that filled the still smoky air around him.  
  
The scene of destruction he witnessed as he entered made him soon forget the smell. He stood there in amazement as he discovered that most of the roof and three of the four exterior walls were completely gone, it was like a giant hand had passed over the building and torn it off the top like a candy wrapper. There was only one room left standing which Shikamaru was pretty sure was the Hokage's bedroom. It was now attached to her newly created rooftop patio.  
  
Tsunade was obviously holding a party to celebrate. The Anbu had meant what he said and Shikamaru had never seen this many high ranking ninja in one place before, in fact he sort remembered a rule against it. He would need to ask Sakura for sure. There must have been hundred ninja milling about, talking and arguing, all in the remains of the Hokage's home. Shikamaru moved in a little along the edge of the crowd where the one wall still remained. He saw a dozen faces in the crowd he recognized as jounin as well as a lot of Anbu masks, he still hadn't seen Tsunade though. He was readying himself to push through when a flash of pink caught his attention in the crowd. Pink-shirted and pink-haired, Tenten and Sakura emerged from the crowd toward him with anxious faces.  
  
"You're finally here!" said Tenten as they reached him.  
  
_"She's acting like I'm late," he thought_.  
  
"Yeah," he said, "What's going on?"  
  
Tenten shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly. Tsunade was attacked and then she blew up her bathroom. I'm trying to find Lee to get the whole story." Tenten was trying to sound untroubled, but Shikamaru could tell she was worried. Being the Hokage's bodyguard meant that he would be an obstacle to any would-be assassin.  
  
"I'm sure he's fine. I heard he's resting near where her couch used to be." said Sakura brightly trying to cheer the other woman up. Shikamaru groaned inwardly, Sakura's choice of phrasing also implied that he was seriously injured.  
  
"Hai, let's find him then, Ikuzo." he said quickly, turning in that direction. Their progress was painstaking slow as they had to weave in an out of groups of other leafs who seemed to serve no other purpose than getting in his way. They were almost all higher ranked than him too.  
  
Shikamaru gritted his teeth as he had to wait for yet another jounin to pass in front of him. "Sakura, isn't there some law against this?" he asked her suddenly reminded of his early question.  
  
The kunoichi looked frustrated as well. She said, "Hai, several in fact, but all the older ninja here are upset. They all keep talking about Sandaime's death."  
  
Shikamaru nodded, he remembered that time quite well, it was when he became chuunin. He had told Choji a little while after he got his vest that it would take the assassination of another Hokage for him to become Jounin. It was a bad joke. He deeply regretted those words now.  
  
Shikamaru was finally starting to wake up after being sound asleep less than an hour ago. "Who would have thought the Hokage's place was this big once you blew the walls out?" he commented to the girls as the pressed on. It was then he realized it was odd that Sakura had gotten here so quick, she lived farther away than Hinata and they were both on the other side of the village from here.  
  
"Sakura, how did you get here so fast?" he asked as he once again waited for a pair of older ninja to get out of the damn way. He looked at her and was confused by the slightly embarrassed smiled she gave him for such a the simple question. "And what's wrong with your face," he asked, "it has a red mark on it."  
  
Sakura began to rub her cheek where a crease from sleep was left. Tenten smiled and brought her hand up to her mouth.  
  
"[cough]...walk of shame...[cough]." said Tenten wickedly.  
  
Sakura gave her the look of death and rubbed at the mark a little more. "Shut up Tenten!" she said, "Maa, I just fell asleep on his couch."  
  
Shikamaru put two and two together and said dismissively, "Oh, that's right... yesterday was Thursday." Now for some reason, he was being included in the look of death and Tenten started laughing like he'd made a joke.  
  
_"Ah, the joys of an all-female team," he thought to himself._ At least Hinata wasn't here to be embarrassed for him and defend him in a conversation he had lost all understanding of.  
  
The three chuunin made it finally to the resting place of both the couch and the Leaf's proud emerald beast. A jagged piece of porcelain bathtub had skewered the Hokage's couch like a pincushion. Rock Lee sat leaning against the wall next to it. His shirt and pants were almost completely shredded and he had a bruise forming on his face. He seemed lost in a daze.  
  
"Yokata," Tenten breathed at Shikamaru's shoulder. Pushing past, she ran over to his side and knelt down to hug him before grabbing his face in concern. He grinned slowly in recognition. Tenten's worried face relaxed in relief. She immediately began picking at where his clothing was torn to assess his injuries.  
  
"Oi, Lee," said Shikamaru, "Ogenki desu ka? Rough day at work?"  
  
Lee gave a small laugh and tilted his head up with obvious difficulty. "You could say that," he answered.  
  
Tenten was pleased to find no serious wounds as she checked the major tears in his outfit. "What happened to your clothes?" she asked taking his hand in hers.  
  
Lee studied their hands for a moment before talking. "Komen, Tenten. Hokage- sama closed my wounds, but I lost a lot of blood and there's still some internal damage. She said I should be fine as long as I eat properly and rest for a couple days."  
  
Shikamaru wanted to know more about the attack when he saw Rock Lee swallow a little like he wanted to continue. Poor guy, he really looked worn out.  
  
"She was taking a bath when she was attacked." Lee said. "I didn't actually know what was happening... I'm not in there with her, of course." He stopped, seeming to be distracted by something. Finally, he continued, "There was this loud explosion and a piece of the bathtub came through the wall. I ran in to see what happened. Hokage-sama was there, lying on the floor. The place was destroyed.... there was only a large hole where her window was supposed to be. She was slow to get up. I heard the whistling sound of shuriken, a lot of them, and I knew their target. I threw myself on top of her. I remember feeling them hit me and Tsunade-sama's hands bluring through seals... I think she was performing some elemental attack when I blacked out... I never saw the attacker."  
  
Shikamaru was sure that Lee told them everything he knew, which sadly didn't amount to a whole helluva lot. He needed to talk to Tsunade directly, but he was afraid of the other things he might ask given the opportunity. Those other questions teased at the back of his mind constantly.  
  
Since Lee was finished Shikamaru to lighten the mood a little and be a wiseguy. He whistled in amazement. "Wow Lee, you had to jump on top old lady Tsunade while she was naked? It does sound like you had it tough."  
  
He was so out of it, that Rock Lee missed the humor and responded in dead seriousness. "You'd think she would look old in the bath," he said, "but actually she's quite young looking, even down to...Itai! Tenten let go! I'm injured!"  
  
Tenten was gritting her teeth as she made an attempt to pick Lee up off the floor by his ear. She growled at him, "You're not that hurt if you can describe what Tsunade looks like without clothes on!"  
  
Shikamaru and Sakura were laughing at the couple's when they heard the room quiet down around them. They all turned to see the Hokage standing on the shoulder of a massive looking man who Shikamaru recognized immediately as Choji's dad, Akimichi Chomaru. Tsunade was in a fuzzy bathrobe that was a bright fluorescent green with a bright orange towel wrapped up around her hair. She looked fresh out of the shower.  
  
All the ninja waited intently. The percussive sound of water splashing from a ruined showerhead played solo in background as the Hokage addressed the crowd.  
  
"Thank you for all visiting this beautiful sunny morning. I hope you all like what I've done with the place," she said pausing for a laugh that didn't really materialize. "First, I let me say that I am fine and the attempt was thwarted successfully."  
  
"Was it the Sound, Hokage-sama?" called someone from the crowd.  
  
"We don't know yet who it was..." she continued, "but I just finished up with the ANBU and we should know more shortly. I want to be clear. Right now we are not a war with another nation... and I don't believe we will be. This was an act by one person whose purpose is unclear. No more."  
  
The Hokage looked hard at the assembly, her gaze creeping into the eyes of each person there. She lingered in that silence until her message appeared understood. Tsunade did not like mixing words. After a weighty pause, Tsunade smiled brightly. "Ok! Now I want all of you out of my house! Jounin should report to the Council chamber, I'll be down shortly, for everyone else, missions and classes will proceed as normal. Jaa, everyone."  
  
Groans and mumbling could be heard as many of leaf shinobi who still had questions were forced to depart without answers. The knowledge that more would be revealed later did little to ease their minds. The Jounin around the room disappear in clouds of smoke as other ninja sprang away in all directions, onto their other duties.  
  
Hinata ran up to her team members through the rapidly clearing space. "Gomenasai," she said, "I was on the other side when Hokage-sama started talking."  
  
Shikamaru welcomed her with wave before addressed the group. "Ok, Hinata and Tenten will take Lee to the hospital and then we'll all report to administration for orders from Anko."  
  
"Did you have something for me to do before then," asked Sakura.  
  
The corners of Shikamaru's mouth twisted up a little. "I thought you'd want to go home first, you know, just to remember what it looked like," he teased. Sakura turned as pink as her hair as they all laughed good- naturedly at her expense. Shikamaru wasn't sure what prompted him to say that. After two years their brand of humor was finally rubbing off on him. "I need to hang out with guys more," he thought.  
  
The open expanse of the Hokage's house had cleared except for them. Hinata and Tenten helped Rock Lee, who was drifting in and out of consciousness, up to his feet while their team members waited till they were ready to move him.  
  
"Stop right there, Shikamaru!"  
  
The chuunin cringed as her heard his name called. He had forgotten that he sort of wanted to talk to Tsunade earlier. He realized now he could care less and just wanted to be done with the whole damn thing, alas Tsunade was not leaving him that option.  
  
He turned to see the Godaime Hokage stride over to them in all her glory. As she approached in robe and towel, he noted that even the antennae of her 'Happy-as-a-Snail' fuzzy slippers had a swagger to their bobbling. She really needed to close the top of her robe a little more too. The woman had no shame.  
  
"Good morning, ladies!" she said as she reached them.  
  
"Ohayou Hokage-sama." His team said in unison.  
  
"_Geez, "he thought, "They sound like they practice that."_  
  
The Hokage placed a hand on her hip as she smiled at him in that feline way that always threw him off guard. He knew, she knew it did that and he also knew, that she knew, he knew... what a bother.  
  
"Did you need something Hokage-sama?" he asked trying to sound impatient.  
  
The Hokage answered his smart question by addressing Tenten. "Lee did a great job today, please take good care of him for me."  
  
"Hai!" said Tenten with a fiery nod.  
  
The Hokage looked distant for a moment before she spoke. "Yes Shikamaru- kun, we need to talk, but first I have to handle something." She turned to look at her bedroom door. It led to the only untouched room in the place.  
  
Tsunade cleared her throat a little and said, "Thank you for waiting until I finished with that, please come out now."  
  
The door opened slowly and out walked one of the last people Shikamaru expected to see. Sweat beaded on his brow as he felt an immense desire to runaway at that moment. He started edging backwards.  
  
Tenten stepped forward was nearly snarling as she recognized a ninja she knew very well.  
  
"Temari of the Sand!"

* * *

To Be Continued


	15. Rook

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter 15 – Rook

Temari walked over toward the Hokage's gathering. Shikamaru remembered her walk, that lazy, dangerous, catlike pace. The slight curl of her lips, the set of her shoulders, the swagger of her walk; it all radiated what he would call confidence in one's abilities. His eyes shifted to the woman in front of him. Tenten's hand betrayed her as it traced along the flap on her weapon's pouch. _"Others would call it arrogance," he thought_. Not that it mattered. He didn't really understand having rivals to begin with. All he knew was that this was one of scariest women he'd ever met.

"I'm sorry to have kept you cooped up in there," Tsunade told the Suna kunoichi cordially.

"No problem, You have an impressive sake bottle collection in your closet Tsunade-sama." Temari said with a laugh. Tsunade's face colored lightly, which Shikamaru found amusing. The Hokage was normally shameless.

"How's it going smart guy," said Temari as she stopped in front of them, her hands resting on her hips. "Get any stronger since I last saw you?"

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided looking at her, it had been three years since they last saw each other. Temari was a little taller than he was now which annoyed him and her chest rivaled Tsunade's own impressive pair. Even Temari's nin-jacket appeared to have been cut so you couldn't avoid looking at her giant bosom.

_"How obnoxious, "he observed, "just like her."_

"I'm happy with what I can do," he said to her with his best shitty grin. "No complaints."

Tenten had been trying stare a hole through their new guest this entire time. "Hokage-sama," she asked interrupting the conversation. "You will need some to escort her out of the village. I'd love to volunteer."

"Tintin, right?" said Temari with syrupy sweetness, "You're looking genki! Still hitting all those targets that don't move?"

Shikamaru started to sweat again. The girls were baring teeth at each other in a poor attempt at fake smiles.

Tsunade looked back and forth from Tenten to Temari with raised eyebrows. She didn't know what happened before, but she didn't need to be genius to see there was bad blood here. "Thank you for offering Tenten," said the Hokage, "But I was hoping you and Hinata could take Lee to the hospital for some rest. I would like him under medical observation for the day."

Tenten realized how she must appear and became flush with embarrassment. Getting so worked up about ancient history when her fiancé was passed out with injuries on the floor wasn't like her. "Hai, Hokage-sama," she replied looking down.

Tenten went over and gently lifted Lee onto a shoulder while Hinata got the other side. He was heavier than he looked and though lanky was a little taller than Gai had been. They were about to leave when Temari spoke to Tenten a second time. "That guy always gets hurt when he fights," she told her, "but he's strong. He did well today."

Tenten nodded, her spunky attitude renewed, "Of course! I wouldn't expect any less of my boyfriend." Looking at Shikamaru she added, "No worries team leader! I'll let Ino know everything that happened here." The horror he felt must have been obvious, as Hinata laughed softly at his expense then immediately gave him an apologetic look.

"Komen, Shikamaru-kun," Hinata said at a near whisper. Tenten stuck her tongue out at him as the two ninja and their charge disappeared in an instant.

Shikamaru realized he had stopped breathing and wondered idly if should try Anko's anti-stress technique. While not the jealous type Ino had heard about all the 'attention' Temari had shown him on their last joint mission together... from Naruto of all people. Like a massive baka he and used the words "kinda pretty" to describe Temari later trying to explain to Ino... that was very, very, very dumb.

_"Tenten had to be joking," he reassured himself, "If Ino found out... there would be a reckoning..."_ Shikamaru suppressed a shiver.

As the nin-smoke cleared, the Hokage turned to go retrieve something from the remains of her desk. It had been split straight down the middle and almost had a melancholy look.

The three remaining ninja stood waiting for her to find what she needed.

"Good Morning Sakura-san," said Temari breaking the brief silence, "Sorry for not saying hello before."

"Ii, no worries," Sakura replied politely. "How is Gaara-san?"

"He's good, he's good." Temari said quickly, "He asked me to find out how you are doing."

"Oh, I'm very well," said Sakura pleasantly, "Tell him I thanked you for asking."

_"Why the hell does Gaara want to know how Sakura's doing?"_ Shikamaru thought. It was then he realized their was no hint of sarcasm in the Sand woman's conversation with Sakura, in fact they were being very polite. _"Weird," he thought "Temari cops an attitude with everyone." _He had been in Sunagakure on a mission when Sakura had passed her chuunin two years ago at the Sand trials along with Hinata and Choji, but obviously a lot happened there he didn't know about.

"Ah! Here we go," the Hokage said picking up a sealed message scroll lying next to the desk. "Temari," she said returning to where they stood, "Here's my message for the Kazekage, please let him know I appreciate his attention to this small matter. Sakura escort our guest past the checkpoints out of the village. With the attack everyone will be on edge."

"Hai, Hokage-sama" said Sakura.

Temari gave a small bow to Konoha's shadow as she took the scroll and turned to Shikamaru. "Catch you later hot stuff," she said to him in a sultry voice. Sakura hid her smile behind her hand as the two sprung off.

Shikamaru sighed with relief as he watched them make their exit. "That could have gone a lot worse," he said.

"So many women so little time, Shikamaru-kun?" Tsunade teased him standing just behind his shoulder.

Shikamaru ignored the comment, but repeated the sigh for her benefit. "You had something you wanted to discuss Hokage-sama?" he asked.

She pointed cross the scorched wasteland that used to be her living room. "Step into my office!" she told him. Tsunade picked up her chair and with a small wobble sat neatly pointing for him to come and join her. Shikamaru grabbed her bath stool which was nearby and scooted it in front of her desk which now appeared foldable.

_"Sort of like post-apocalyptic kindergarten," he thought to himself._

"So, how did this all happen?" he asked turning his head to survey the place.

Tsunade began to lean back a little, then sensing danger in the move leaned forward again. "I was washing my hair in the bath when I was attacked," she explained, "The water became solid and started constrict around me. I couldn't move a muscle."

"Suiton no jutsu, "Shikamaru said, naming the style of attack. "Some type of water prison? How did you break it?"

"Simple," answered Tsunade on top of his question. "I raised my body temperature and pushed the heat into the water. The water was frozen by chakra so by a quick release of heat broke the jutsu."

"You raised your body temperature to the boiling point?" Shikamaru said in disbelief. It seemed incredible even for the Hokage.

Tsunade smiled at him. "It was a little bit of a gamble," she said, "but I'm pretty lucky as long as isn't cash on the line!"

Shikamaru dry washed his face with his hand. He refused to believe he had been awake for only one hour.

"The tub broke when the water exploded," Tsunade continued, "And I got thrown pretty hard. The toilet went through the sidewall and that was when the kunai showered through... Lee-san, the brave fool," she said affectionately "jumped in to cover me. I would have been ok, but it gave me time to read the next attack which was a large fireball jutsu." Tsunade nodded to her Shower pipe which was still sputtering. "I had a lot of water around for my own suiton."

Shikamaru could honestly care less about the detailed play by play when he realized she was stalling for some reason. It was almost like she was hesitant to tell him what this was all about... and that started to worry him.

_"I really did want to forget about what I was going to ask before," he thought, How troublesome... oh well, no need to defend against the pieces you can't see."  
_  
"Why?" he asked her sharply folding his arms, "Who would attack you like that? They were obviously weaker than you because they needed to hide and they ran away too quick. A true assassin would have put there life on the line to complete their mission."

Tsunade seemed preoccupied. She loosened the towel wrapped on her head and placed it over her shoulder. Running her fingers damp hair she picked out a lock of it to examine its ends. Taking a hesitant smell, her nose wrinkled at its unpleasant, burnt odor. She tossed the hair back over her shoulder with a sigh. "I needed a trim anyway," she aloud, half to herself.

Shikamaru stared at her in a stony silence.

It was Tsunade's turn to repeat a sigh. "Their mission was to deliver something to me," she answered.

"Deliver something," he repeated for emphasis, "Why would some unknown ninja need to..."

"I never said I didn't know who it was, " the Hokage interrupted.

He paused to study her face. He was looking for some clue as to where this was all going. he continued, "But you told all the jounin who were just here...?"

"What they needed to hear," said Tsunade finishing his statement.

He was dumbfounded. "But why Hokage-sama?" he pleaded.

Tsunade smiled as she noted his inclusion of the honorific in his question. In the countless conversations they'd had he rarely used it. It was always when he was truly lost, when his brilliant logical mind just couldn't add up all the pieces. _"He's been giving me that same look for six years now," she thought._ The smart, pessimistic little punk she sent after Sasuke not so long ago had grown into a reliable ninja before her. A ninja who was now sitting on her bathroom stool and staring at her with the helpless look of a lost lamb. She mused, _"At least some things don't change."  
_  
"Konoha hasn't really been the same since when you became a chuunin, Shikamaru. I know you can't truly understand this, but even during the great wars this village was never hurt so badly by an enemy as what Orochimaru did. I try to be sensitive to that as I try to overcome it, but..."

He figured it out. "It was Kabuto," he said suddenly.

"Very good, Shikamaru," said Tsunade approvingly. "He came all the way to bring me this." She held up a small red message scroll she had hidden in her robe. It's gold threaded tassels were tied to a small kunai which was stained red itself with Lee's blood.

"What does it say?" he said his eyes locking onto it.

The Hokage would not meet his eyes. "Atari," she said.

"Huh?" said Shikamaru, Atari was a term in the game of Go. It meant 'check', forcing your opponent to make a move by leaving only one option open. It meant you were setting them up for the fall.

Tsunade explained, "This is an ultimatum... and I don't know what to do yet."

Shikamaru scratched his head. "You can't tell me the details?" he asked already knowing the answer.

Tsunade looked at him and shook her head slowly.

Shikamaru sighed as he let his hand drop back down. He was doing a lot of sighing and head scratching today. He picked up a random shard of glass and turned it a little in his fingers before dropping it back to the floor. His head spun with the situation and the unknowns. Needing composure he closed his eyes. His fingertips came together with his need to concentrate. People had thought early on it was a strange seal, but it was just his habit.

Tsunade waited patiently.

Shikamaru open his eyes after a time just as a new presence entered the room. Shizune, Tsunade's retainer and longtime friend appeared. "The jounin are waiting in the meeting room for you, Hokage-sama, " she said looking impatient herself.

"Just a moment, Shizune," Tsunade told her.

The chuunin captain always put a lot pressure on his fingertips when he made that pose and a tiny piece of glass that had clung to his index finger had cut him. The blood welled up to drip a little from his fingers. Shikamaru looked at Tsunade and then turned his head to look straight at the door to her bedroom. It was a room that held more that just sake. He was sure that Temari had been hastily enlisted to stop anyone from entering that room when the confusion happened. Keeping his head turned he shifted his eyes back to the Tsunade. After a moment of stillness he got up and placed his bloodied finger on the surface of her desk. Using it as brush and ink he wrote a single character in a precise hand that seemed at odds with his lazy demeanor.

Tsunade looked down at it and smiled in recognition. _"He's given me an answer with almost nothing to go on," she thought.  
_  
Shikamaru placed his hands on the small of his back and made a load groaning sound to show his obvious displeasure at her lack of comfortable furniture. "Will that be all Hokage-sama," he asked sounding like his normal bored self.

Tsunade stood up and nodded. "Didn't you have something else, Shikamaru- kun?" she asked quietly as he turned to leave.

He gave her a blank look liked he'd forgotten. "Oh, yeah. Well, I don't need to ask that now." He grinned widely, "Sometimes it's better not knowing" and with that he strolled out the demolished room.

Tsunade smile ruefully. She was thankful. _"He's able to trust me even when I give him such a tough time," she thought.  
_  
"I'll be down in a moment, Shizune," Tsunade told her attendant as she glided towards her bedroom, "I'm done with the displaced refugee look."

The dark-haired woman gave her only the slightest roll of the eyes as she disappeared again.

The Hokage walked into the only room she had left and came face to face with a big part of her dilemma. The glowing red scroll sat on its metal stand and steamed away at its tub of water almost contently. Tsunade flicked the message roll and kunai at it. As the projectile came in contact with the scroll it blazed in a brief flare incinerating both scroll and weapon in moments.

She turned to put some clothes on and said the word Shikamaru had written on the table aloud to herself.

"Ko."

It was a rule in the game of Go which mean that an opponent couldn't reclaim a position once it was given up. It gave you the opportunity to put pressure elsewhere on the board and to raise the stakes. She said she was pretty lucky as long as money wasn't involved. It had been that way ever since Naruto convinced her to take this crazy job. It was time once again to test that.

She finished up and was about to leave when another thought crossed her mind. _"They say in Shogi you should keep your horse close and your dragon in the attack,"_ she recalled._ "Well, I have my Horse at least... let's see if I can do something with my Dragons."_

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

A/N: _Shogi _is Japanese chess. The Horse (_Ma_) is a promoted piece that moves like a Bishop while the Dragon (_Ryu_) is a promoted piece that moves like a Rook.

_Go _is a Japanese game that play sort of like Othello (but not really).


	16. Swimming with Sharks

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

A/N: Japanese fun: _kowai_ - "scary" vs. _kawaii _- "cute"

* * *

Chapter 16 – Swimming with Sharks

Sakura and Temari walked at a leisurely pace out of the main gate of Konoha. The leaf chuunin had checked out with the sentries and after making sure everything in order she escorted the foreign ninja out of the village. Iwashi and another nin she didn't know were on watch. They told them to walk one mile on the ground along the road before entering the trees so they would be pass the Anbu perimeter.

"Thorough," Temari commented as they left.

Sakura glanced at her for a moment to try and get a read of her. It had been a while since she had been in the Sand ninja's company and Temari had a way of speaking that made everything seemed dipped in sarcasm. It took most people some time to pick out her sincere statements from her derisive ones.

"We did just get attacked," said Sakura deciding to take mild offense. "I assume that you would do the same if it was your Kazekage."

Temari shrugged. "The rest of the Hidden Sand would be I suppose," she said, "but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. It is Gaara afterall."

Sakura nodded letting the topic drop. From her time in Sunagakure, she knew quite well that the situation in Wind Country was a tense one for Temari and her brothers.

Her father as well as grandfather had been Kage, but that didn't make things easy for their offspring. The village council blamed their deceased Yondaime for the Sand's hardships as well as Orochimaru's deception. Right now there was a lot of bad blood between supporters of her family and those who felt the new leadership was dangerous. Their jounin sensei, Baki, even had to pledge to remain Gaara's permanent 'aid' to guarantee his good behavior. Otherwise they might have tried to banish the possessed boy from the village entirely. Temari had said no Kazekage had ever been treated that way. It was despicable.

Sakura had met Gaara for a second time before he became Kazekage when she, Choji and Hinata went to the Wind Country for their second Chuunin exam. They were the only team Konoha had sent to the Sand and to their surprise all three Leafs made it into the final matches at the stadium.

It was the oddest thing when the intimidating and sad, red-haired boy had appeared out of nowhere one day when she was practicing for the final rounds. He just started talking, giving her an awkward apology for trying to kill her before and then asked if he could help her train.

Sakura smiled remembering. She never told anyone it had been Gaara who helped her develop the technique she beat his older brother Kankuro with in their match.

"Thinking about someone special?" Temari asked peering at her a curiously.

Sakura looked up from the road thrown off by the question which broke her from daydreaming.  
"Oh no...no," she said raising up her hands, "Just remembering some things that happen a long time ago."

Temari seemed disappointed and stretched her arms above her head in with a small yawn. "I see," she said. "It's a shame. You don't know how lucky you are. Konoha has so many interesting men in it... that Shikamaru is still fun play with, especially now that some woman's obviously tied a leash on him."

Sakura forced herself to remain mute on the subject of the owner of Shikamaru's 'leash'. She knew Ino certainly didn't think of herself that way, but then Temari seemed to view all men who intrigued her as potential conquests.

Temari realized Sakura wasn't going to divulge any juicy details so she decided to switch topics. "So how's Uchiha Sasuke? I figured he was definitely my type when we last met. I was disappointed he wasn't there today."

Sasuke's situation was a secret of the village and couldn't be discussed even with an ally. The question caused Sakura to become annoyed for some reason. "Sasuke's fine." she said icily.

Temari's eyebrows raised as her mouth made a small 'o' shape. "Ok then," she said realizing she had chosen someone else Sakura didn't want to discuss. "Is there any guy that's safe topic?" she asked with a sigh.

"Sure," said Sakura with a slow smile, "you can tell me how hot you think Rock Lee is and I'll make sure it all gets back to TenTen."

The taller woman made an unpleasant face. "Rock Lee? yuck, he's not attract... oh wait I see," Temari exclaimed. Understanding what Sakura was getting at and the Sand chuunin burst into laughter and was soon joined by her companion.

Sakura's side was aching a little from their caddy humor when she saw the mile marker come up. She pointed up to the canopy of trees heading west. "Ok, I'll go with you a little ways to make sure we're past the paroles."

Temari nodded wordlessly and the two ninja disappeared into the branches. Their passage into the trees had only been for a short while when Sakura called a halt.

"I'm sure we are past all the checkpoints," she told Temari. "Please take care on your journey home."

Temari gave Sakura a small bow at the formal sounding farewell. She really did enjoy the leaf girl's company and there few women even in Sand Village she could call friend. "Make sure to give Rock Lee all of my love," Temari said wickedly before springing off towards Wind Country.

Sakura covered her mouth to suppress the giggles and leaned against the trunk of the tree she was standing on. She caught her breath and decided a take a small break before heading back. The noon sun was climbing to its zenith in the sky and its heat soon drove away the cooler air of the morning. Sakura lifted her water bottle to her lips when she felt the change in the surrounding forest.

"It's become too quiet." she thought. "I'm being watched."

Sakura's ninja senses took over as she flicked a kunai out of her pouch. "Who's there? Show your self!" she yelled into the stillness.

A tall man appeared on a large branch opposite her. He was powerful looking with a cloak the color of midnight patterned with swirling red clouds, his forehead protector had its symbol of the Hidden Mist scratched out. Sakura also spotted a large sword swathed in bandages slung on his back.

"I'm impressed," he said in a friendly voice. "I didn't expect you to notice me so soon."

Bringing her kunai level in front Sakura slid her other hand behind her back as she prepared herself. She felt her pulse quicken as the adrenaline flooded her veins. When she became Chuunin one of the first tasks she'd set herself was memorization of the Bingo book. A guide detailing the most dangerous missing-nin reported active in the Five Countries.

Sakura knew the man in front of her now. He was an S-class murderer who had been reported dead two years ago. A report that was obviously wrong.

"Hoshigaki Kisame," she said in recognition.

His inhuman face took a pleased expression. "Oh, I'm still popular," he said taking a step forward. "It's nice to be remembered."

Sakura felt the sweat of fear trickled down the back of her neck._ "I can't beat him,"_ she thought,_ "and if I run he'll catch me."_

"What does an S-class criminal like you want in Konoha," she asked harshly. "These trees are crawling with Anbu right now."

Kisame brought his sword from over his shoulder in front of him with terrifying speed. It's bandaged tip sinking with a metallic thud into the bark of the tree limb he stood upon. Sakura refused to flinch as her body silently screamed at her to flee. His zanbatou style sword marked him as one of the Mist Seven and it was known as the Samehada. A hideous weapon that ate the charka an opponent molded while shredding through anything in its path.

"_Kowai_," he said mocking her with a fake shiver. "I was out looking for a _kawaii_ kunoichi to send to your Hokage as a gift." His serrated- looking teeth showed with his cold blooded smile, "You'll do, but first we'll have to make you fit in the box."

Sakura hands flew forward as she hurled out a half dozen kunai. Kisame made no attempt to move, watching in mild surprise as the kunai headed below his branch on either side of him. The projectiles whipped back up to twist around him before lodging in the wood. Each knife was attached to a fine metal thread. The ends were looped in Sakura's right hand as she pulled them taunt, her left hand slipped behind her back again.

Kisame began to shift his grip on the sword when he looked down at the wire slicing deep into his flesh at the move.

"I wouldn't move a muscle if I were you," Sakura told him with a vicious- looking smile, "That is unless you want to be sashimi."

The shark-faced ninja smirked at her and then heaved both arms up with his weapon. The tearing sound of flesh was replaced by the splashing of water as the wires became slack in Sakura's grip.

"Mizubushin? "she realized in awe. _"This far from a water source?"_ She was unguarded now.

Before Sakura could react the Samehada ripped up through the branch she on. Kisame stood on the branch's underside with chakra-charged feet as he made the blow.

The jounin grinned slowly as he felt his Samehada impact her body. "She's not half bad," he thought. A puff of smoke revealed a small log that substituted for the kunoichi as the terrible sword turned the replacement into a shower of splinters. He realized, "That's what she was doing behind her back."

Defying gravity, Kisame walked around to the top remaining branch and raising the Samehada at the canopy he became talking to air. "Let's see," he said turning, "The kawaramii should have put you right ... there." The jounin pointed at a section of thick leaves above, as he did so a dozen shuriken flew from it. Kisame turned his sword to its flat size and shielded himself as the rough-skined blade flared open. The deflected the missiles flew away as he quickly flung the sword at clump of leaves.

The long blade flattened and spun like a saw through the air, making a low pulsing hum in its flight. The sword dissappeared into the leaves as a cry of pain erupted from the foliage. Sakura fell onto the branch opposite her unarmed opponent. The pink-haired ninja knelt clutching her left shoulder as blood ran rivulets down her arm.

With a cry of rage Sakura flew off of her branch, her last footfall chakra charged sending her with blazing speed at Kisame. She took satisfaction in the evil bastard's look of surprise as her kick at his head came faster than he expected. The jounin barely brought both arms up in a cross block as her kick made impact jarring him.

_"Got him,"_ Sakura thought. She dropped lightly to her feet into crouch and sending chakra to her arm to increase her power she aimed her fist at his unguard midsection. She smiled as her fist sunk deep into his unguarded stomach. However, her look of triumph faded as his inhuman body seemed to grip her hand. "I never connected...something is grabbing me." she thought with alarm trying to remove it.

A low hiss came from Kisame as he breathed out of his mouth. His midsection snapping back into place as it repelled away the intruder. Sakura fell back her hand recoiling at the deflection.

"My body is made of cartilage, not just bone," he gloated. "Your taijutsu is too unskilled to harm me."

Sakura sprang backwards to get away from the monsterous nin when with lightning quick reflexes he snatched her out of the air. Sakura screamed as he swung her around by the ankle to slam her ferociously against the trunk of the tree. Dangled in front of him she gasped for air. Kisame examined her for a moment, then sadistically repeated the blow against the tree. Her gasps replaced by the choking sound as blood filled her mouth.

_"I can't see," _Sakura thought weakly. The blood from her mouth had run down and gotten into her eyes. She was barely conscious as she heard her attacker's voice.

"I guess your little book didn't tell you everything about me," said Kisame holding her like a caught fish. "You did well little girl, but you seem to have underestimated my Samehada." While Kisame talked Sakura could hear a deep rhythmic flapping sound approach.

_"No! It can't be,"_ she thought in terror.

Kisame laughed. "Once there is blood in the water, a shark will always return for its prey," he told her.

The blind chuunin twisted feebly as tears of frustration mixed with blood. The wicked blade flew towards them as Kisame held out his victim for a nice clean slice through the middle. After all, when it came to cutting he was a perfectionist.

"I'm going to die," Sakura realized. She became resigned as a single regret filled her. "I really did want to have a son for him," she thought.

"Kamaitachi!"

Slicing winds slashed at Kisame's arm forcing him to release the kuniochi. Sakura fell silently as another ninja flew by to catch her. Kisame snatched the Samehada out of the air at the same time as it passed him.

Temari of the Sand stood in tree crossed the clearing with the unconscious leaf ninja supported on her shoulder. She gave Kisame a look of disgust.

"Look," the jounin said to his sword, "soon we'll have more pieces to play with."

Temari snapped opened her three star fan with a flourish. With a twirl it covered them and winked out of existence.

"Genjutsu," recognized Kisame. "It's useless," he called out readying another throw. "Once my Samehada has tasted you, it's impossible to hide."

"Enough Kisame," commanded a voice from the surrounding trees.

The Kisame halted his toss and grimaced with displeasure at being interrupted.

He turned around. Uchiha Itachi and his new pet the lightning freak, Setsuko Arashi appeared in a swirl of leaves in front of him.

"Itachi-san," Kisame complained, "you said I could take my time with the girl."

The Uchiha's black eyes shifted in the direction that the kunoichi had escaped. "I didn't expect the Sand woman to circle back," he said. "Even though the Kazekage is a weakling," he explained, "I still don't want to give Wind Country any reason to get involved with what's about to happen."

His impassive gaze moved back to his half-shark companion. "Don't worry Kisame, in just seven more days by the full moon you'll be up to you earholes in blood."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Fun Fact: A Zanbatou or "horse-killer" sword was used during the Sengoku period of Japan. It's massive blade was able to cleave a horse in two, but it was unwieldy and often required two men to swing it effectively. 


	17. Laughter and Forgetting

[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]

A/N: The events of this chapter happen concurrently with Chapter 16.

A Yukata is a summer style kimono. There are both men's and women's styles. It is generally lighter and easier to wear than a traditional kimono and was originally created for the bathhouse.

A Yakuza is a Japanese gangster. Souke means the 'Main Branch'.

* * *

Chapter 17 – Laughter and Forgetting

Hinata sat waiting for Naruto to pick her up at their usual meeting place, the low stone wall that ran next to the Ichiraku ramen shop. He was a couple minutes late as usual, not that she minded. The sun stood high in a clear creamy blue sky today washing the earth with its brilliance. Even the ancient looking ramen shop sign seemed lively as people walked up and down the small street shopping and enjoying the weather. Hinata loved the feel of sunshine. Sitting there with her eyes closed she basked away oblivious to the goings on around her.

"You should be careful dear or you'll catch yourself a sunburn."

Hinata opened her eyes slowly adjusting to the light. In front of her stood an ancient looking little grandmother with her small shopping bag filled with the day's groceries. She wore a kindly expression on her worn face, its lines traced lightly over rice paper skin. She tipped a finger at the broad-rimmed straw hat she wore as if to emphasize the meaning of her words.

The pale chuunin sat up a little and bowed politely to the woman. "Thank you oba-san, but I don't ever get sunburn."

Having her good advice ignored, the elderly woman looked at Hinata with a mildly stern expression before shuffling away. Taking a couple steps she turned to shake her head in disapproval at her before continuing on. Hinata simply bowed again politely.

No one would believe that someone as pale as Hinata would not burn or even tan in the strong sun, but it was something she had known about herself for a long time. It was a trait all the Hyuga shared.

She could still remember her nursemaid's disbelief at first when she was still very small. The woman had spoken with her mother as they sat watching her play. "Kotori-sama," she called, "Hinata-sama will not come in from the garden when I ask her and the sun is too strong for her young skin."

"Let her be, Suzu," Hinata's mother had replied as she came out to the house. "She is a Hyuga and the Sun will never harm its beloved clan,"

Kotori Hyuga was distance cousin of the main branch and the ideal bride for the Souke heir, Hiashi. Though an arranged marriage, Hiashi had loved his wife greatly. Hinata had always thought her mother was like an angel. Her raven silk hair and alabaster skin gave her a haunting, ethereal beauty. Hinata remembered with a longing her mother's kind manner and gentle voice, eyes like deep pools of amethyst that spoke of love never needing to be said. Kotori was a delicate woman and had died giving birth to Hanabi. Hinata's father, grief stricken, had sworn to his wife on her deathbed that one of her daughters would succeed him to become the head of the clan some day.

That daughter would never be Hinata.

"Hinata, are you okay? I'm sorry I'm so late. I just got back."

Hinata woke from her daydream to stare at Naruto who appeared in front of her. "I'm crying," she thought. She quickly wiped the moisture from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I'm fine." She forced herself to smile. "It's just the brightness I guess."

Naruto looked down on her with concern, his face always an open display of his feelings. "Well you shouldn't sit out in the sun like that," he told her holding out a hand to help her up. "You'll get burnt."

Hinata found her smile more easily as she reached out and felt his always warm and strong hand holding hers. "You're right," she said.

"Yosh! We're off kimono shopping!" he shouted receiving several stares from passersby.

Hinata laughed at his infectious enthusiasm and quickened her pace to match him before she was dragged along. The tall blond ninja strided along on a personal mission she had been trying to persuade him to do for a while now.

This was the first Firenight festival they would share as a couple and when Naruto had shown her the old threadbare orange yukata he had, she had at first politely suggested that he may want to just think about considering a new one. Of course, the subtly of the suggestion was lost on Naruto who had defended his favorite, meaning only, kimono vigorously.

Naruto was a chuunin now and could afford a new one Hinata had decided. So, on the way back from the dry cleaners she had accidentally 'tripped' and tore a huge hole in it with a kunai she happened to be holding at the time. It was a terrible accident.

After a brief mourning period of anywhere from between to two to five seconds, Naruto had quickly come to agree with Hinata that perhaps it was time to purchase a new kimono.

As Naruto led her through the streets of Konoha she was amazed at how alive the village seemed. Today, every shop and stall seemed bustling with activity, with the festival but a week away it was to be expected. "Still," Hinata thought, "this is the happiest Konoha has seemed for a long time, maybe since the tragedy of Sandaime's death."

Naruto made an abrupt turn into an open doorway as they had reached their destination. Aoi's Kimono shop was the best in town and also the most expensive. Naruto had been insistent though. "You said it yourself, "he'd told Hinata, "I'm a chuunin now and can afford this." She had simply meant a replacement, but then Naruto did always seem to have a little stash of money hidden away in his Gama-chan wallet for the right occasion.

The jingle of a shop bell rang softly as the two ninja entered. A middle aged woman in a stunning blue and green kimono with gold embroidery glided towards them from the back of the store. With her tall heels she matched Naruto for height and Hinata noticed in amazement how everything she wore, from the ornaments in her hair to the lacquer on her long nails to her generously applied eye shadow, matched her kimono.

"Naruto-san, Hinata-san, Allo, Allo!," she greeted them with her peculiar foreign accent. "You are a little late for ze appointmant, but zis is no problem." Aoi clapped her hands together twice. "Now Naruto let tus take a few quick meazurements to make sure you have'nt got-ten any biggeur since last I saw you! Momo," she yelled for her assistant, "Bring ze measuring tape!'

Naruto rolled his eyes as he took off his jacket and gave Hinata a knowing look. She had fitted him several times already and made a huge point of complementing Naruto on "ez healthy phyz-eek". Hinata thought his ego was a little overinflated, but she had to agree with him that she'd never heard of an inseam leg measurement for a kimono.

Yamori Aoi had come to Konoha to start a business now over a dozen years ago and while she was a bit of an oddity to the villagefolk, her skills were quickly to put to good use once word had got around. Shikamaru, whose mother came from a long line of local kimono makers, said she was a big faker, just a washed up geisha from Rock Country. Naruto's only comment had been that she was the prettiest man he'd ever seen. Hinata had to scold herself later for laughing at. "Boys can be so mean," Hinata thought. Regardless of what they all said, the woman made beautiful clothing.

The seamstress began to hum as she took measurements of Naruto's chest, back, sleeve and neck. All the while her assistant, Momo a tiny mouse-like girl who was a hand shorter than even Hinata stood by expectantly with tape, pins, scissors and anything else her employer might need. The girl wore a lovely pale rose kimono sashed with white that had tiny gold cherry blossoms along the sleeves and cuff. Hinata eyed her outfit enviously. "Maybe I should get a new kimono," she thought, "but I can't now. It's too close to the festival and I'd never get one ready in time."

Aoi took a step back and held the measuring tape out for Momo to retrieve from her hand. "Good!" she exclaimed, "I have zay perrfect yukata for yur almost perrfect bod-ee. Come witz me," she told them as she spun away towards the dressing rooms. Naruto's right eyebrow rose as he contemplated whether or not he should be offended. Suddenly, his foxlike smile appeared and he leaned over to Hinata. 'You should be proud of me, Hinata," he whispered in her ear, "I put on my best pair of boxers for this!'

Hinata watched as Naruto strutted off to go into the dressing room and shook her head. Sometimes Hinata couldn't tell if Naruto was joking around or if he still didn't realize how inappropriate some of his behavior was.

Hinata followed and stepped beside Momo to wait for Naruto to try on the first outfit. Aoi stood apart from them with her arms folded and stared intently at the curtain he would come out from. Fitting was the most crucial part she'd informed them.

Naruto strutted out in a brown and white checkered yukata and Hinata could tell immediately that he was playing around. He had found a scarf to wrap around his head instead of his forehead protector and had got a long wooden toothpick somewhere that he slid from one corner of this mouth to the other and his eyes roamed the place with a shifty look.

He approached Aoi and gave her his best yakuza impression. "Nice place got here, nei-san," he said all the while leering at Hinata and Momo, "but it looks like you could use a little insurance...if you know what I mean." With that he swaggered over to Hinata and Momo, "Hey, little nei-chans, you're pretty cute lookin'. How 'bout you come work me?"

Momo giggled behind her hands, while Hinata could feel the color of embarrassment rising in her cheeks. "Naruto!" she scolded in her whispery voice. The tall chuunin gave her his slack jawed yakuza look for a second more before breaking into his mischievous fox-like grin. Naruto dashed back through the curtains into the changing room as Hinata tried to apologize, "I'm sorry, he is normally better behaved than this."

Aoi's eyebrow arched a little as her lips curled up, "Iie Hinata-san," she said, "yur boy-a-friend is quite zay comedian."

A rustle at the curtain signaled Naruto's next fitting and Hinata had to briefly considered hiding as he reemerged. Wearing a stylish red and black kimono, Naruto appeared with two long red streaks on this face. He had taken an old stringy white mop and holding it in his right hand had placed it on his head like a bad wig.

Naruto threw his arms wide and stomped his foot like a kabuki actor. "Behold! I am the great and famous Ero-Sennin, Jiraiya!" he yelled, changing his voice to mimic his former teacher. "I am the tamer of toads and annoyance of beautiful women. Yo-sha! No evildoer or women's bathhouse can withstand my power." Naruto stomped once again with a shout and imitating the drumming sound of a dramatic exit moved in a shuffling pace around the small space in front of the women to dash back in curtains.

Hinata decided there was no point in apologizing again. Momo leaned over and told her with a giggle, "Your boyfriend is very funny."

"Yes, yes very amusing." added Aoi who with a lightly tapping foot and twisted smile seemed both annoyed and entertained at the same time.

Hinata held her breath as Naruto entered for the third time. He was wearing a deep orange kimono with royal blue along the cuff and hemline. A warm grey like old silver played a flame pattern in the arms and bottom. It was a hair away from garish, but it matched Naruto's coloring and personality very, very well.

Naruto must have thought so too as he seemrf impressed with it walking a straight line to the long double mirror. "Hey Ninata, I really like this," he said as he twisted to look over his shoulder.

She walked up beside him to see him in the mirror. "It looks wonderful on you, Naruto-kun," she said appreciatively.

Naruto turned around and shook his butt a little in the mirror. "Yeah, I'm dead sexy," he said grinning at Hinata in the reflection. They turned to Aoi and Momo who waited patiently for their verdict. "Domo Arigato, Aoi-san, Momo-san," Naruto said,"This is best kimono I ever seen." Both women bowed politely and then they all headed to the front of the store for payment.

They were at the doorway when Naruto turned quickly, "I forgot to tell Aoi-san something, Hinata," he said, "wait outside for me, I'll just be just a sec!" She was a little surprised, but thought nothing of it as less than a minute passed before Naruto ran out with his kimono securely in its brown paper wrapping to join her.

Once they got outside again Naruto and Hinata found the sun had slipped down to cast long shadows along the village streets. The breeze was modest as the couple walked slowly hand-in-hand enjoying the early evening cool. Their discussion was lighthearted, Hinata's soft voice and gentle laugh punctuated with Naruto's dynamic outbursts.

When they got to the point where they would need to split up to head for home Hinata asked, "Naruto-kun would you like to get dinner? Ramen, maybe?"

The blond ninja's eye's lit up for a moment at the promise of food, but he looked away into the distance to make an irritated face. Looking back at her he said, "Sorry, Hinata, I have to go over to Hokage oba-chan's place and talk to her about something." He grinned at her in that disarmingly way. "I can't really put it off anymore!"

"Oh," said Hinata trying not to seem downcast, "I understand. Well, goodnight then, Naruto-kun," she said turning down the street towards her house quickly.

Naruto made a protesting sound as he threw a hand out towards her retreating figure. "Hinata, wait!" he said finally jogging up to her. The kunoichi turned as Naruto placed his hand inside his parcel. "I almost for got something," he said, "Close your eyes!"

"Ok,"said Hinata, laughing a little as she did as she was told, his childlike enthusiasm could be infectious. "What is it?" she wondered as she felt him place something in her hands.

"You can look now!"

Hinata stared at Naruto curiously as he almost bounced with anticipation. Looking down she saw in her hands a flat square package tied with string. She carefully undid the bow-tied knot and unfolded the paper to see what it held.

Naruto's grin widened to near face-splitting as he heard her gasp of surprise. Hinata gingerly held up a gorgeous silk yukata. It was the palest of lavenders worked with the design of a shining yellow sun peeking through rose-colored clouds. Hinata looked up at him with delighted expression.

"I asked Kurenai to find out your measurements for Aoi," he told her. "The woman kept complained that it was first time she made a kimono of that quality without a least one fitting."

Naruto's face showed a rare blush as Hinata took a step closer to him. While shy about most things, her forwardness with Naruto had surprised them both on a number of occasions. On tiptoes Hinata brought her hand up to his face and gently brought it towards hers. The ninja knowingly bent down and place his arms around her tenderly as their lips met. The kisses, almost chaste at first, deepened as arms and packaged kimonos were swept up in the embrace.

Reluctantly after a time, Naruto ended their blissful moment his mouth returning to steal a few desperate last kisses as his body drew him away.

"When will I see you again?" asked Hinata with a dreamy look on her face.

"Soon, "said Naruto sounding rushed. "Tomorrow... ah, I don't know. I need to do this thing then I'll let you know... I'll be at the administration building tomorrow morning... If I don't see you I'll leave a note." Naruto again made a slightly pained face as he fought duty to the very last before disappearing in a violent swirl of leaves.

Hinata sighed as she watched the leaves of his escape technique float slowly to the ground. Despite the sadness of not getting to spend more time with him, Hinata was bubbly and content as she reflected on the day. "This is going to be the best Firenight festival ever," she thought.

The street lights blinked on little by little as the twilight of fading sun filled the sky. She resisted the urged to skip as she hurried on her way home. Hinata was only two streets away from home as she turned to find the last person she wanted to see when she was this happy.

Hyuga Neji stood leaning against a wall at the corner. His figure framed by a pool of light cast by a street lamp. He stared at her intensely and the reason for this ambush Hinata knew all too well. The kunoichi steeled herself as she unflinchingly walked towards where she would need to pass him to get to her apartment.

Neji got off the wall and crossed then recrossed his arms in a reflex of impatience.

Hinata read his body language clearly, he wanted to get over and done with whatever he felt was going to happen. "Well, I've been expecting this," she told herself.

"You live in a pretty rundown part of the village," he told her casually as she came to the lamplight's edge. "If you just asked the clan we would be more than happy to provide you a better living situation."

Hinata's face remained smooth as she replied. "I am fine with where I am living right now, Neji-nii-san. Please do not concern yourself about it." She waited knowing there was more to come.

Neji looked away as a wave of frustration passed over his face. Hinata knew her cousin preferred to see the world in purely black and white. To him, the grey patches were only the result of indecision and weakness.

They had forgiven each other long ago for the pains of the first chuunin exam and had achieved a sort of common ground for a time. Unfortunately, her father's decision had forced Neji to take on responsibilities and pressures he was never ready for. It had caused feelings and ambitions his father Hizashi had placed on him to resurface. It drove them slowly apart again and now as her relationship with Naruto blossomed a dark shadow fell between them.

"You know we needed to discuss this yet you've avoided me," he said at her his head tilting back up.

"I haven't been avoiding you," she said with a sigh, "I do not feel it is any of your business."

Neji seemed to ignore her answer. "Is it because you think I wouldn't approve? He's a valued member of my squad right now and even at chuunin, one of the most powerful ninja in the village. I also consider him a good friend."

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment and then opening them again as she started to walk away from him. It was pointless to talk to him like this.

Neji was startled by her coldness and turned towards her his voice raised a little. "You do understand my rights under village law, Hinata? I can deny you the right to marry him."

Hinata stopped dead as his words hits her.

Neji continued as the edge sharpened in his tone, "Any child of yours by him I have the right to take away... Even the Hokage cannot stop it."

Hinata's chest hurt as breathing became difficult. The intention behind his words caused both the anger and fear to rise within her. "Neji is never going to let me be happy," she thought sadly. Given what had happen to him she expected things to be different. She hoped he'd understand somehow.

Hinata turned to him at last, her package gripped to her chest like a shield. White eyes revealed a shared desperation that seemed to rebound back and forth under their icy gaze.

"Under clan law, I challenge you Neji," she said.

Neji's face became incredulous before hardening.

"You what?!"

"You stated that we must abide the laws put in place by the clan," she said harshly. "As an heir of the Souke of the Hyuga clan I challenge your leadership of the clan."

"Have you lost your mind?" Neji spat back.

Hinata did not recognize her voice as venom dripped from it. "Seeing you as you are now, I do not think you are fit to lead the Hyuga."

The tension rose under their unblinking stares. Hinata had struck deep at the core of Neji's being with her words.

It was an ancient tradition from the early days of the Hyuga when the role of the Main and Branch houses was less clear. Sometimes more than one Souke heir-apparent would be successfully raised to adulthood causing a great division in the clan. Dueling was a rare event and one that had been avoided for the past several generations. When it did occur the result from one of the candidates had always been an untimely death.

Neji broke the silence as he exhaled sharply through clenched teeth. "Why?" he demanded.

"I just told you," she said dismissively. "We will meet on the morning before the night festival. It is your right to choose the witness, Neji-nii-san. Please remember it must be outside the clan."

Neji looked like he was carved of ice as rage consumed him at her brazen words and foolish stubbornness. "Choose whoever you like, however I suggest someone skilled in the medical arts."

Hinata ignored the implication, "Then I choose Haruno Sakura, do you have any objections."

Neji did not reveal any disapproval at her choice. They both knew that it was yet another slight to him in this downward spiral of a conversation.

His hands came together in a seal as he told her, "As you wish... Hinata-sama."

Hinata stood quietly as the smoke of Neji's escape jutsu faded. She knew what she had just done and did not like herself very much for it. There had been a good chance that Neji would have understood and granted her the right to be with Naruto. It did not matter. The remote possibility of his denial or worse yet the control he'd have over any child she might have with Naruto was just too much to bear.

She had little reason to think she could defeat Neji. She had grown much since their first battle, but the difference between their abilities was still clear.

"I will not let him take my dream away from me," Hinata thought fiercely. Happiness with Naruto had been all she'd ever wanted for so long and now she had that in her grasp she was ready to fight for it and ready to die for it.

Hinata felt like laughing all of the sudden. For the first time she had stood up to someone that had terrified her for most of her life. Brave was not a word Hinata would ever use to describe herself, but it seemed to fit today.

Familiar voices traveled up the desolate street towards Hinata causing her to turn. She saw two women and as she made out the faces of Tenten and Ino, she waved to them in greeting.

"Hey, Hinata!" called out Ino, "Are you ok?"

Hinata realized what she must look like and made a more pleasant face. The girls walked up to lighted corner to join the doe-eyed kunoichi.

"I'm fine. Where are you guys coming from," Hinata asked.

"We were both at the hospital," said Ino, "I was volunteering in the children's ward today and Tenten was there to visit Lee."

"Yeah," said Tenten, "The doctors want him to stay the night for observation, but with the blood recovery medicine he took he'll be fine by the morning."

"Listen to her," said Ino leaning over to Hinata with a conspiratorial, "She's acts all laid-back, but when I got to his room she was there fixing his pillow, rubbing his neck, feeding him soup..."

"So! How did your date with Naruto go?" Tenten asked trying to change the subject.

"It was wonderful," she told them bringing out her package. "Look he bought me a new summer kimono." The girls ooh'ed and aah'ed as Hinata show them her gift.

"You'll look so beautiful at the festival Hinata!" exclaimed Tenten.

Ino added, "I'll make sure we have the perfect orchid ready for you at my family's stall when you come."

"Arigatou, Ino-san" said Hinata politely.

"Ooh, can you save one for me too Ino," said Tenten pleading.

Ino threw hands up. "I'm sorry Tenten, the orchids corsages are only for unmarried girls."

Tenten made a sour face. "I'm only engaged! Besides you Shikamaru act more like an old married couple than Lee and I do."

Ino raised her finger, "No, you see just because Shikamaru acts like a crotchety, old oji-san doesn't mean we act like an old couple."

The girls all laughed at her absent boyfriend's expense. They all started to walk casually down the street as they all shared the way home for another couple of streets.

"Oh yeah, Hinata guess what!" said Tenten. "I told Ino about what happen today."

Hinata covered her mouth as her jaw dropped, "No, Tenten you didn't! You mean. . ."

"Yes, yes, I heard all about Temari," sighed Ino.

Tenten grinned evilly.

Ino continued, "It's ok Hinata. I'm not worried that Ms. Suna-Boobs is going to steal my boyfriend from me. I have Shikamaru completely wrapped around my little finger."

"Then you're not going to get mad at him?" Hinata asked slightly confused.

Ino looked at Tenten who shook her head sadly before turning back to her obviously confused companion. "Of course, I'll get angry! I may even throw something," Ino added sounding pleased with the suggestion.

Hinata was lost again. "...but why when..."

"Because Hinata," Ino interrupted her, "guilt is an important part of a healthy relationship."

Tenten shook head, "Hai, Hai."

"You see without guilt then your boyfriend will believe that you are happy with whatever he does and this will make him lazy."

"Really?" Hinata said in wonder.

"When your boyfriend is guilty he works harder at making... you... happy." Tenten revealed.

"Hai, Hai," affirmed Ino with a firm nod.

Hinata looked mystified, "There is so much I don't know.."

"That's why you have us!" they said in unison.

The women all joked and laughed as they headed home. Hinata enjoyed the pleasure of their company. It filled the void, allowing her to forget for a small time the pain that her future held.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: We're getting back to Sakura next!


	18. Unfamiliar Ceilings

[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]

A/N: I'm using less Japanese. I think I feel so comfortable with the character now, I don't think of it anymore. Sorry if they seem OOC. :) Enjoy!

Translation note:

Koishii = darling or beloved

Aah = syllable Japanese say meaning "yeah".

* * *

Chapter 18 – Unfamiliar Ceilings 

A barren expanse of dull white greeted Sakura as she rubbed open crusted eyes. The aftertaste of a scream lingered in her throat unspent. It gave her urgency as pulled herself upright. Sakura glanced around fitfully for anything to gain her bearings. As she moved, she felt the pull of tubes and tape and heard the pulsing hum of monitors and machines filling the room's artificial silence. Seeing the bed and curtain, the gown she wore and the instruments around her, Sakura sank back down as her panic faded.

"I'm in the hospital," she explained for the ceiling's benefit. She waited for a response, alas, it was as bored as it looked and seemed intent on ignoring her.

Sakura shifted her head on the pillows to spy the small table of flowers at her bedside. It was a thing her initial search for threat or foe had bypassed. Four vases were arranged on in an even spacing. Sitting up again she scooted over to examine them closer, seeing note cards attached to each. Dragging her arm cross her body to reach them Sakura accidentally knocked off one of her pulse monitors. A small warning beep sounded shrill for a bit before cutting off. She realized that someone would be coming to check on her. She decided she didn't really care.

The sea green vase with camellias Sakura recognized immediately. The fragrance of those blossoms had drifted up into her window since diapers. Their presence meant her parents knew she was here, a fact that made Sakura relieved. Too often she would be gone and no word would get to them, with days or even weeks passing until the mission was completed. Neither one was a ninja, yet they handled her difficult lifestyle with unconditional love and support. It was a precious thing few ninja could claim to have.

The next vase was a masterpiece. White willow blossoms and baby's breath framed by green maple leaves led to sunny buttercups and purple lilacs, all surrounding an exquisite and rare pink lotus flower. Sakura stroked the cream-colored card with her fingertips. Again she did not need to read its contents, an artist's work spoke for them. "Ino," she said fondly.

The last two sets of flowers were a bit of a mystery, both different in everyway imaginable. The first bouquet was by far the largest on the table and the largest Sakura had ever received. Its two dozen long stem white roses seemed to glisten even in the paltry fluorescence of hospital lights. A pink ribbon was tied to the fine silver urn that held them attached with a card. Sakura needed to investigate this time. She opened to find a note in a calligrapher's script, she read, "If anything we're ever to happen to you, koishii, I would cease to live. Rest well and be safe, Neji"

Sakura felt tears rising up. Neji's concern seemed so genuine, so real, despite all her coldness these last couple weeks. She missed being loved. She missed being loved by Neji. He was caring and attentive, a strong man who took responsibility for the things. They had argued and fought and she didn't always agree with him, but he always listened. He was all she could ever ask for.

She sniffled slightly as she forced away the sob that had wanted to come out. Plopping back down on the bed, Sakura clutched the card to her chest. "_Why were my last thoughts of Sasuke?"_ she asked the ceiling. _"Why?! Why, when I will never be the last person in his?"_

The fairy tales Sakura had read as a child were always filed with magical things. A kiss or an apple, a potion or a ring, a simple thing that brought the heroine of the story the love they wished for beyond their wildest dreams. Sakura pouted, staring at the small card in her hand, "Why can't I find a potion?" She was unsure whether she would force it down Sasuke's throat or take herself and run blindfolded to Neji's door, either would be better than this.

She rolled over and placed the card back in the envelope, then shifted to examine the final vase. It was as plain as Neji's had been ornate. A glass jar with the label ripped off, only two daffodils and no card to be seen. Sakura smiled, the hastiness of it all had Naruto's spontaneity written all over it. She was surprised though, she didn't think she had ever told him her favorite flower. "Never losing its beauty even in winter, the daffodil has the strength to hope for spring," she recited aloud. Sakura leaned forward to smell their faint fragrance when she noticed the slight odor of spaghetti sauce. It was obviously from the jar turned vase.

_"But why is it so familiar?"_ she thought.

Sakura flipped back to the bed under the covers when she heard the door opening. A petite, non-descript nurse entered and averted her eyes when she saw Sakura awake. The woman was all business as she walked swiftly over to the windows opening all the curtains. "Looks like we knocked off our pulse monitor," she said brusquely. Sakura shied from the blinding daylight that flooded into the room. The nurse came over to her bedside and without much ado started removing tape and wires off Sakura. The kunoichi sort of wondered what the woman's problem was. "Itai!" she yelled when the woman took out her i.v. tube in a flash. A band-aid was slapped on and Sakura glared at nurse while being told, "Visiting hours has just started and you seem to get a crowd. The doctor will be around in the evening before your meal."

The nurse left and as the door slammed shut it all came together for Sakura._ "She was one of the nurses I got in the fight with when we saw Neji,"_ she realized._ "Gee, I wonder what kind of treatment I got from her while I was unconscious."_ The thought reminded Sakura that she had better check a mirror before anyone saw her.

The kunoichi stumbled into alcove-like bathroom forcing her sleepy limbs to active duty once again. Catching herself on the edge of the sink she reached up to turn on the vanity light above the mirror. Blinking on with a fluorescent buzz Sakura barely recognized herself. A gaunt, tired looking woman with bandages on half her body and circles under her eyes stared back._ "I look old,"_ she thought. She forced a smile for a moment before letting her face relax back to it somber state. "We can start with some soap and hot water," she told the reflection, "and see how it goes from there."

Sakura walked a little steadier as she returned to the bed. Her efforts had yielded some results; at least she wasn't going to frighten anybody. On cue there was knocking at the door. It was follow by the entrance of the two people Sakura was hoping to see.

Ino and Shikamaru came in and were all smiles at seeing Sakura up and about.

"Hey flower-power girl, how are you doing?" said Ino cheerily handing her a small box of sweet dumplings she brought.

"Hey Ino," said Sakura trying to act more energetic than she felt, "A little better, now that I'm awake."

Shikamaru pulled over two chairs from by the window so the couple could sit with her. "You had us worried," he said as they got settled. "Temari reported to the Hokage everything that happened. The Anbu have been conducting sweeps for the past couple of days."

"Temari-san," Sakura said, "was she injured by Kisame as well?'

"Iie, she escaped him and came straight to the village with you," he said. Shikamaru ran his hand from under his chin to around his neck to his back of head. It rested there briefly before wiping back slowly in reverse motion. It was a reaction of his Sakura recognized well from having worked closely with him for a long time. It was a habit of his when he got anxious.

Sakura knew what caused of his worries. Kisame Hoshigami was declared dead by the Hokage over three years ago. It was connected to the same mission where Itachi Uchiha had been killed and where Maito Gai became a fallen hero. If Kisame was alive what had he been doing all this time without Itachi? What else was taken as truth that wasn't?

Sakura looked them blankly as these questions formed in her mind. _"Temari..."_she thought, "_I barely remember her coming to save me... I was delirious I guess... Why would that monster be lurking outside the village now?"_

Ino's eyes flickered back and forth between the two other people in the room. For some reason, both Sakura and Shikamaru had gone into annoying, ultra-broody mode. She had to deal with this from both of them now and then, but together like this, it was a little too much.

_"If I want friends like this I'll get a couple blow-up dolls,"_ she thought. Ino decided to change the topic, sort of.

"That's ok Sakura, after she reported to Tsunade-sama, fan-chickie tried to trick Shikamaru into running off to Sand Village with her. Can you believe the nerve?"

Sakura blinked as Shikamaru sighed heavily. "Geez, Ino," he said "that's not what happened. She needed an escort to the border and she asked the Hokage if I could do it."

Ino crossed her arms, "Oh really, and didn't she said something like 'If you're man enough you'll do it."

Shikamaru looked cornered for a second, "Well, yeah but that's just her way. Anyway, Gemma and Raido went. And why do you always make up names for her? Why can't you just say Temari?"

Ino took a snooty attitude. "I use pseudonyms as a subtle way of expressing my opinions on the woman."

Shikamaru raised his hands up as he looked at the ceiling pleadingly.

Ino leaned over to Sakura and gave her nudge with her elbow. "Did you hear?" she asked acting proud of herself. "I used a big word."

Sakura had to laugh even though her ribs ached. Ino had told her some time ago that having introverted, obsessive, super-geniuses for her boyfriend and best friend made her go a little crazy sometimes. "You both live in your head all the time," she had explained once, "I don't know how you do it." Ino's dealing method was to get them to laugh... and it worked ninety-nine percent of the time.

The three ninja chatted comfortably about less depressing things for a while. Shikamaru was in mid-sentence when he stopped and turned to look hard at the door. Pulling on Ino's arm he started to stand up. "We should go Ino."

Sakura and Ino looked at him curiously. It took Sakura a moment before she too could sense a presence nearing the door. Shikamaru's awareness of his surroundings had always amazed her. It had gotten their team out of tight situations on more than one occasion. "He really should go for the Jounin exam," she thought.

Her train of thought went out the window as she saw who entered. Calm, cool and collected, Hyuga Neji walked through Sakura's door. He smiled at them politely and nodded his head.

"Shikamaru, Ino-san."

Shikamaru was half pulling Ino along, "Hey Neji," he said neutrally while staring pointedly at the doorway.

"Konbanwa, Neji. How are you?" said Ino. She, unlike her rude boyfriend, had no qualms with the Hyuga clan heir. "You're looking genki."

"Konbanwa, Ino. Thank you I am doing very well," he replied cordially. His eyes shifted to Shikamaru who kept staring at the doorway. Neji said, "I hope I'm not chasing you out or anything, Shikamaru."

The pony-tailed ninja turned to his greatest annoyance. "Oh no Neji, not at all... we have to be going, right Ino?"

Ino stared hard at him as his eyes kept slipping back to the door. She gave Shikamaru the 'you know you're nuts' look, followed by the 'you're being a pain in the ass' frown and finished with the 'I don't know why I put up with this' exasperated face, all before actually speaking.

"Ah... yeah," she said unconvincingly to Neji. "Get well soon Sakura," Ino said more brightly turning back to Sakura, "we'll go shopping so I can spend Shikamaru's money! Goodnight, Neji."

The couple left in a rush and Neji shook his head as he watched them leave. He turned back and with satisfied expression at their sudden privacy moved to sit in the chair Ino had just occupied.

"You look better," he said taking her hand in his, "I was worried about you."

"Ah," mumbled Sakura as she looked out the window quickly. "Thank you for the flowers, Neji," she said turning to look at the vases. "They are very beautiful."

Neji caressed her cheek softly with a finger which drew her attention back to him. "They aren't as beautiful as you," he said, "Did you see the best part?"

"Huh," said Sakura, "No, what is it."

"Just wait." Neji teased. He jumped eagerly up and went into her little bathroom. She could hear him turning the faucets on.

"What are you doing?"

"Just wait!"

Sakura thought he was laying it on a little thick, but she was always impressed with how sure of himself he seemed. Of course, it also got a little annoying at times. Right now Neji was showing a side of himself that he normally hid from others, a side that could only be glimpsed when all his defenses were down. Sakura imagined this was what he was like when he was little, before the mark on his forehead and before his father had died.

The white eyed ninja was brimming with anticipation as he brought out a steaming styrofoam cup of hot water around her bed to the flower laden table.

Sakura moved to the side of the bed sitting up to watch. Neji pour the cup of water carefully into the urn that held the roses and then sat beside her on the bed.

Neji instructed, "Now observe carefully."

Sakura didn't know what he was up to, but did as she was told. They watched expectantly for a little bit when she began to notice some peculiar. The centers of each the white rosebuds were getting darker. She looked closely and she saw that it was a reddish color.

"Oh, Neji!" she said with delight.

The color built in the center then exploded into the petals, maturing to a vibrant pink. It was as if the roses were blooming all over again for her in seconds under her eyes.

"I was hoping you'd like them," Neji said grinning at her, sounding almost vulnerable as he looked down at his feet.

Sakura was touched by his gift... more than that. She impulsively leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, but somehow his mouth got in the way. She paused with her eyes closed, but then let herself give in. Neji's spell had done its work as inhibitions were cast away. The kisses were slow and passionate. Neji knew how Sakura liked to be kissed, the curve of his lips and hunger of his mouth had a familiar intimacy that soothed her aching heart. It felt just like when they had started dating. A pure, sweet tenderness that was honest and uncomplicated. It was why she had started falling in love with him the first time. Sakura hands crept lightly up Neji's chest to cling on his shoulders. She could feel his strong arms cradle her gently, their comforting strength making her supple and yielding.

The door to her room opened with whine of rusty hinges and the couple broke away awkwardly. The abrupt feeling of disorientation was tempered to disquiet as Sakura discovered a new person in her doorway.

Sasuke Uchiha looked at the scene before him with an unreadable expression. He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose with a forefinger. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Sakura," he said in that impersonal way of his. "I was concerned and wanted to see how you were doing. If you will excuse me..."

Sakura noticed he was more mechanical than usual and her embarrassment fled at concern. "It's ok Sasuke. Thank you for stopping by."

Neji looked as if he had swallowed something rancid. The evening had been proceeding as he'd planned and the interruption as well as its perpetrator was a little too much for him.

"What are you doing running around at night, Uchiha?" he demanded.

The corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched up mockingly, "Don't worry Neji, I'm not planning on breaking out of the village just yet." Sasuke's words and challenging stare only made Neji's face darken.

"_He didn't say he had permission to be here,"_ Sakura thought fearfully. She wasn't sure whether Sasuke was just baiting him or not, but she knew Neji would have the Anbu here in minutes. _"Neji will try to capture Sasuke himself if he thinks it necessary_," she realized, _"I don't want this to happen."_

"Neji!" said Sakura quickly, "I'm sure the Anbu know he's here! Sasuke, ah, thank you for stopping by. Please leave now I don't want you to get in trouble. I... sssss!" Sakura winced as pain shot through her side. Her injured ribs protested as she had tensed watching the confrontation between Neji and Sasuke unfold. Both men were startled and moved towards her. She waved them off as she managed to regain control. "I'm fine... Sasuke please go."

The dark eyed young man looked torn for a moment before responding, "Aah." The ninja left quickly out the door.

Neji seemed to almost hiss with annoyance as he watched the retreat of his rival. "I don't trust that guy."

Sakura massaged around her healing bruises, trying to work the blood back into the area as she glanced up at Neji. He wore his hatred like a mask and it cooled desire she had to see him right now. _"I hope Sasuke gets home quick,"_ she thought.

"That goes for you too, Neji," she said lying down, "I'm tired and I'm sure my doctor will be making rounds soon."

Neji seemed to wake out of his rage, but it was too late. "Sakura," he began, "I only..."

"Goodnight Neji."

Sakura rolled on to her other side away from him. The chuunin captain could only look helplessly at her and then in defeat he retreated in a small puff of smoke.

The room became empty again and Sakura escaped to sleep as emotion and pain had drained her reserves.

It was much later at night when she awoke again. The medical-nin had been around to assess her recovery as well as her parents who were relieved to see her conscious and safe.

Alone now, Sakura stared out at the night sky. The moon shone brightly thorugh the window as the drapes had been left open filling the room with its radiance. She rolled over to look at the flowers once again. The roses had become colorless again as their water had cooled. They looked empty now to her, devoid of feeling. Her gaze wandered back to the daffofils in the spaghetti jar. She wondered if Naruto was ever going to visit or if he as too busy with mission. "I would have thought he have thrown them in cup ramen instead of a spaghetti jar," she mused, "spaghetti is more like..."

"No," Sakura said aloud as she sat up at the revelation. She had guessed wrong.

A tiny knock sounded on her door almost causing her to fall out of her bed and she turned to see Sasuke slip silently into the dark room.

"What are you doing here?!" she scolded him in a half-whisper, half-yell. "If you get caught you'll be in big trouble!"

She could here his dry laugh as he stepped closer to sit down next to the bed before speaking. Sasuke was unconcerned. "I may be somewhat limited right now without chakra, but I can still avoid a couple of nurses."

Sakura clenched her sheets in annoyance. "I'm talking about the Anbu, baka!"

"Daijoubu, daijoubu" he replied, "They're fine with me being here."

Sakura became quiet, but her face was still a portrait of disbelief. "You've gone insane," she replied as that could be the only logical conclusion.

"Yes I'm insane, Sakura." said Sasuke dryly, but there was no hint of sarcasm in his next question. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura turned to take a measure of him before replying. _"He really seems quite normal...for him,"_ she thought_, "maybe the Anbu are ok with him being here."_ The kunoichi decided there was nothing she could do about it either way.

"I'm feeling better," she told him, "I'm just a little stiff." She smiled brightly at him. "I can't believe I recovered so quickly. I must not have been as badly injured as I thought."

Sasuke's face dropped and his hair shadowed his face as he spoke next.

"You looked so bad when they brought you in," he told her softly. "I was here... I do work in the children's ward sometimes, all Ino's idea... I saw... I saw..." he repeated his voice gaining strength, "you on a stretcher being brought in, and it was funny, the first thing I noticed was your clothes... I thought, 'Sakura never wears black'... as I got closer I could see that you were wearing your same ninja gear as always... except that blood had soaked through most of it... that's what made it look so dark.... You had blood everywhere... on your face, on your hands, in your hair.... It was all yours."

A choking sigh escaped from Sasuke as his shoulders bunched like knotted cords before shrugging loose again. "Tsunade appeared out of nowhere and took over from the medics working on you, then I was force to leave by one of the Jounin who came in with her... First time in two years I had to be restrained"

Sakura felt a little weird as she sat in the dark listening calmly to an account of her own near death. She had scrapes with death before, but was still surprised no one else had thought to mention it to her until now.

"Sasuke, I..." Sakura paused. She looked down at his folded hands as he leaned over hunched on his knees. She couldn't see their color in the dimness, but she could sense the trembling of them as he grasped tightly. She reached forward to place her hand on his to ease them. "I'm alive and well," she said reassuringly.

She didn't know what to think of his reaction. He knew she was a chuunin now and had seen her in close calls as a genin. _"Maybe it's because he hasn't seem battle for a while." _Sakura thought, analyzing the situation with a sterile logic. Logic she needed when thinking about him.

Her reasoning could not prepare her for his face when he surfaced again. It tickled at her memories of him from what seemed so long ago.

Sasuke appeared afraid and also furious at that same fear. His mouth was the thinnest of lines and his eyes were a watery desert, like a man who was had just been reminded why people cry.

He took her hand in his and placed it back on her lap. He clutched it with a desperate pain and said, "I don't want you to die."

Sakura shook her head as she refused to see the meaning of his words. "I told you, I fine. It was closer than I..."

"No!" he yelled cutting her off locking her in his stare. "I... don't... want... you... to die." The tide of silence returned to the room before he whispered, "...I couldn't bear it."

Sasuke stood up quickly keeping hold on to her. Sakura could only observe from her frozen and lucid state what he would do next. He bent down with syrupy slowness, his face moving with in course towards her, his warm lips brushing hers then pressing hers.

The spell was broken.

Sasuke pulled away and turned quickly to leave, but was arrested as something clamped down hard on his sleeve.

He turned back to see Sakura staring at him looking distraught. He stared back confused.

"Kiss me again," she said with a need for confirmation.

Sasuke was hesitant as moved back to her bedside and went to kiss her again. This time Sakura's mouth was unstuck and met his, gently kissing him back. The dark-eyed nin felt a wetness on his face and leaned away.

He looked at her face and wondered if he was doing something wrong. "Sakura you're crying," he said.

A sob became a giggle. With a sniffle she blinking away the forming tears.

"Kiss me again."

Sasuke did as he was asked and Sakura allowed the hope of love back into her heart. This fallen heir to a lost clan had always beautiful to her and always heartless...until now.

* * *

To Be Continued

A/N: Yup, Sakura is going to need grande therapy after this. :)


	19. Food for Thought

I love my reviews btw, LOL, It's nice to know someone cares enough to SQUEAL, GASP! and GLOMP their way through my hastily written stuff!

This is a plot-mover chappie, enjoy:)

Please Note: These events happen the same night as Chp. 18. (it should be obvious, though)

Japanese fun:

_'Daijobu ka?_' means 'Are you ok?' ; _'Soo desu ne'_ filler phase means 'That is true'

* * *

Chapter 19 – Food for Thought

Iruka was pleasantly surprised when Naruto invited him out for ramen this evening. He looking forward to seeing him and after years of tirelessly supporting the little blonde "ramen pit" it was nice to see a little dividend. Although if anything Iruka was happy for the company.

"_I don't get to see much of Naruto anymore," he thought._

He closed up the Academy office, checking the teachers' lounge and the bathrooms before heading out the doors to lock up. Walking out into the entrance yard a certain melancholy took him. As the academy headmaster it was his job to be the last person out each night and with that he had to make sure that everything was safe and secure He loved his job but sometimes being all alone at the end of his day made him a little sad. His students always had mothers, siblings, fathers or friends, just someone waiting for them with a smile in the schoolyard. For him the yard was always empty, of course that had all changed when Naruto became his pupil.

As he walked up to Ichiraku a tall blond ninja who looked a little wild and a little dangerous at the same time jumped up from the stool he he was sitting at to wave at him.

"Oi! Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka responded with a polite, embarrassed wave. _"He looks so different now, but he's still the same Naruto," _thought Iruka. The boy that he had helped raised was still in there, but he was stronger, more confident._ "...and he's tall. Who would have guessed that?" _the chuunin mused.

Iruka sat down as Naruto plopped beside him. "Thank you for inviting me Naruto," he said politely.

"Iie, Iruka-sensei, this is nothing considering the small fortune you spent on me here when I was a kid," he said with a laugh. Iruka laughed as well and he also took note of his recognition of the inequity.

"_You're still just a kid, Naruto," he thought fondly._

"Hey Ojisan!" Naruto yelled to the ramen vendor who stood a mere three feet away. "I'll have a pork-miso ramen with the works. What do you want Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka nodding his head in recognition at the old ramen shopowner, "I'll have a vegetable ramen with barbecued eel, please." Naruto stuck his tongue. He hated eel.

"Hai, Hai." said man with a smile smoothly preparing to make the orders for his best customers.

Iruka settled on his stool a little better. "So, how are you doing Naruto? I understand that Hokage-sama thinks highly of you and your team. I also heard you've had a lot of important missions lately."

Naruto threw a hand behind his head seemingly embarrassed by the sudden praise. "I guess," he replied good-naturedly.

Iruka was surprised by the modesty. Not too long ago he would have boasted to Iruka about his exploits to near exaggeration. Now that Naruto had the recognition of a lot of people who believed and trusted in him, he didn't need that quite so much. _"He's finally becoming mature," _the chuunin teacher realized. It was nice to see and Iruka felt a surge of pride that he had been a part of helping the young man in front of him turnout so well.

Iruka watched their bowls be placed in front of them. "Well, I'm sure you're hungry Naruto. Let's eat."

"Idatakimasu!" they said in unison breaking apart their chopsticks.

They ate in companionable silence slurping away. Iruka glanced over at the blond-nin and noticed that he was eating a little slower than he used to. "There's something wrong," Iruka thought immediately.

It had been a while since he had to read Naruto's moods. Not that it was ever hard given how honest and open the boy was, he was just out of practice. However, like throwing shuriken or molding chakra, interpreting Naruto just wasn't something you ever forgot.

Iruka pushed his empty bowl away. "So, you want to tell me what's up?" he asked folding his hands on the counter.

Naruto's eyes got big as he suppressed choking down his final swallow. Slamming on his chest a fist and gasping he wiped at his mouth with his sleeve. He looked in surprise at Iruka who locked his with a serious expression. Naruto relented quickly. Looking down at his bowl with a sigh and shrug, he gathered himself before speaking.

"What if you have the chance to help someone, but you weren't sure whether it would make them worse instead of better," asked Naruto keeping his gaze down on the table.

Iruka saw the concern that etched Naruto's face. _"He is a sensitive guy still for all his loud ways," _he thought. The chuunin resisted asking who this person was. Keeping it in the realm of the hypothetical he said, "Well not everything that is helpful feels good and not everything that feels good is helpful. Which do you think this is?"

Naruto's face scrunched up a little. "I don't know. All I know is that this person is not the same anymore. It's like something's broken."

"What do you mean?" asked his sensei.

"I mean, yeah, sure, he's not dangerous anymore, but that's just a shell. I mean, I'm sure its better and all that he's nice to people and that's just great. He was never given a choice. It was all just forced on him."

Iruka hesitated before responding. He now had an idea who this person was, but he didn't know what Naruto could do about it. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. It could mean trouble for him and possibly the village. Iruka chose his next words carefully.

"Naruto, what you need ask yourself is, is this what he wants or is it what you want?"

"Of course, it's what he wants!" he said with a slam of his fist. He raised his head, throwing arms wide to emphasize his words. "I know it's what he wants... and I hope its what he needs. It might just give him back control again... maybe for the first time. Heck, even a tough bastard like him doesn't deserve this!"

Naruto's last statement removed any doubts Iruka had about the person's identity. Iruka kept up the pretense. "You know Naruto not everything that has happened to him has been bad. I think he's learned to accept weakness in others and himself... and to see strength in a different way."

Naruto turned to look at Iruka like he had missed the point. "I know all that! But, when he talks it's all fake, like he has to be content 'cause he can't be anything else."

Iruka nodded his head in agreement unconsciously. "Soo desu ne," he said, "He does always hide something. It's like every negative emotion he could have and should have has been shut off. And because of that it's made all the good emotions meaningless."

Naruto grinned brightly. His former sensei had summed up his thoughts eloquently.

Iruka shook his head a little, refocusing. He still didn't know what Naruto was planning. "But what are we talking about Naruto what are you planning to do? You know..."

Naruto looked up and exploded in a greeting that effectively interrupted the interrogation.

"Kakashi-sensei! Long time no see, you must back from a mission, ne?

Iruka sputtered to a halt and turned to gape at that the jounin who sat at the stool next to his.

"Something wrong with your jaw Iruka?" Kakashi asked dryly, "You know I've heard there's only one way to get a cramp like that."

Iruka snapped his mouth shut abruptly as Naruto rolled with laughter. "That's a good one Kakashi-sensei," he said.

Iruka frowned. He didn't know the punch line, but he was sure it was perverted. He was also mildly disturbed that Naruto got the joke so quickly. He remembered that he was still getting answers out of Naruto when the teenage chuunin faced the street to holler at someone.

"Oi, Shikamaru! You're just the man I wanted to see!" Naruto yelled.

The normally bored-looking nin appeared at the end of the street and had a panicked look on his face as he searched frantically for a hiding spot. Giving up hope, he sighed deeply and waved back to Naruto who was bounding up to him.

Iruka watched the boys slip away into the night down the lamp-lined street. It was his turn to sigh. Naruto was obviously talking about Sasuke. He would need to track him down later and make sure he didn't do something reckless.

He turned towards Kakashi as the jounin readied himself for the steaming bowl of ramen placed before him. Iruka became intensely curious and observed closely. After witnessing the "garbage pail" technique at the restaurant a few days ago he was ready to see how the masked man would manage soup.

Kakashi paused as he broke apart his chopsticks. "You know it's rude to stare like that," he informed Iruka.

"I know," replied Iruka getting a little cocky, "but I can't past up a chance for a repeat performance."

"Oh," Kakashi said playing it off, "It's really not that exciting. I chew and swallow like most people. Besides didn't I remember Kurenai telling you there were other ways to get my mask off.?"

Iruka crossed his arms defensively. "If you think I care what you look like under that you are crazy." The pony-tailed man lifted his chin as a rosy color highlighted his face. He closed his eyes as he continued tartly. "You are full of yourself Kakashi if you..."

A slurping sound interrupted Iruka. His eyes popped opened to watch Kakashi push away the finished bowl.

Iruka's face was froze with shock. "That's unhealthy." he said aghast.

Kakashi turned to him with a smile twinkling in his eye. "I'm very shy."

Iruka began to laugh as if Kakashi had just told the funniest joke in the world and it soon infected the silver haired man as well. Recovering slowly they sobered to a comfortable silence.

"You look tired," Iruka said restarting the conversation.

Kakashi nodded, "I've had a lot of traveling to do lately. It makes me almost wish I was in charge of a genin team again."

Iruka smiled. He knew Kakashi had failed dozens of academy grads who were offered to him for a genin assignment, with one important exception. He doubted the man would ever take one on again.

Kakashi stretched, rubbing his left shoulder a bit. "How is Naruto doing? He never asks me anything anymore, so I was happy to see he was confiding in you still."

Iruka blushed again for a different reason. A long time ago he and Kakashi had got into a nasty argument in front of the third Hokage. It occurred when Naruto's first chuunin exam came up. Iruka yelled at Kakashi in front of all the assembled teachers. He had disagreed strongly that Naruto and the others were ready to be tested. It was the rudest thing he had done in his life. Of course, Kakashi had bluntly put Iruka in his place and told him it wasn't his concern anymore. Later, Iruka had to admit to himself that Kakashi had been right. It was a big part of his respect for the man.

"Naruto is so busy he doesn't have much time to talk to me either," Iruka said. "Hokage-sama seems to have very high hopes for him. Even if he's not a team captain yet, she's still given him a lot of responsibility in a short time. I worry about the pressure it puts on him sometimes."

Kakashi seemed a little perturbed. "The Hokage has her hands in a lot of things at the moment, she needs all the tools she can get," he said tersely.

Iruka nodded. He didn't like to think of shinobi as weapons or tools the way Kakashi implied. Instead, he preferred to think of it as if all the hearts of the village shared a single beat and single purpose. Each person doing what they could. _"Maybe I would be more jaded if I had gone through everything Kakashi has,"_ he wondered.

Iruka wanted to share his concerns with this man as someone who cared about both Naruto and Sasuke. He was worried. He needed to have his fears validated or dismissed by someone else and the present company seemed, in all irony, ideal.

"Kakashi-san, may I ask you a question?"

The jounin's eyebrow raised at the sudden formality. "Hmmm, what is it?"

Iruka leaned heavily on the counter they sat at, as if his very thoughts weighed bodily on him. "Naruto and Sasuke have been..."

"Speak of the devil,' interrupted Kakashi turning.

Iruka broke off what he was about to say as he looked in the same direction as the scarecrow-nin. Coming down the street in hurried manner, Uchiha Sasuke walked stiffly seemingly filled with an emotion that Iruka had rarely seen in the young man as of late. Sasuke was furious.

Iruka started to get up to catch him.

"Don't do it." Kakashi advised him.

Iruka turned to look at Kakashi, "What do you mean? He's obviously upset."

"I know." said Kakashi. "When he gets like that it's best to let him burn it off."

Iruka ignored the advice. He thought, _"I've been with him almost every day for the last three years Kakashi. What do you know?"_

He intercepted Sasuke in the street. "Sasuke are you ok?" he asked in concern. The flash of fury that came from the bespectacled face made him step back a little. He really wasn't used to Sasuke like this, it made him remember the twelve year old version with sudden clarity.

Sasuke seemed to compose himself before responding. Using his index finger to push his glasses back up on his nose, he replied, "I'm fine Iruka-sensei, I am just returning home after doing some work at the hospital."

The academy headmaster nodded understanding. As his part-time guardian and counselor, Iruka had encouraged Ino's idea to diversify the work Sasuke did and visiting children in the Konoha critical care ward seemed a perfect choice to him.

"It's a little late to be coming from there isn't it?" came a voice from behind them

They both turned to look at Kakashi who appeared to have invited himself to their conversation.

A little of Sasuke's anger seemed to return. This time it was an iciness that lacked the heat earlier. "Kakashi," said Sasuke sounding half like an accusation, "Did you know Sakura was in the hospital?"

"I did. I gathered she was unconscious, but in stable condition. I haven't had a chance to visit her yet, but unlike you I have missions to complete."

Iruka looked between the two half-confused. Theirs was a strange animosity that Iruka couldn't figure out. It explained why Sasuke never talked about Kakashi._ "Of course, he doesn't mention Naruto much either,"_ he thought. While Iruka pondered away the conversation between the other two men had degraded.

"She almost died," said Sasuke acidly, "you're concern for her is typical."

"She's a kunoichi, Sasuke," said Kakashi condescendingly, "Perhaps you've forgotten what that means."

Sasuke was snarling at this point and Iruka seeing the situation deteriorate, tried to end it. "Kakashi!" he yelled, turning to Sasuke, "I'm sure he's concerned Sasuke, everyone in the village is working hard right now."

Iruka glanced back at where Kakashi was to see his figure retreating leisurely back to the stools of the ramen stand. "The Anbu don't seem to be with you this evening, Sasuke-kun." Kakashi said without looking back. "You should probably run home quickly."

Iruka felt defeated by Kakashi's snide remarks. He looked at back at Sasuke to see the young man glaring evilly at the jounin's back. Tossing his head a little Sasuke resumed walking away when Iruka called out to him, "Sasuke wait." He took a few steps towards him the younger man and had to halt abruptly as Sasuke stopped and turned back around to look him.

"Iruka-sensei," he said quickly.

"Yes, Sasuke," answered a confused Iruka.

"When you want someone to know how you really feel, but you aren't sure how they really feel is it better to tell them or not tell them?"

Iruka had to blink. That was definitely the largest sentence he had heard Sasuke use in a while and the fact it was also a question left him reeling.

"Well," he responded recovering, "I would say it's always better to tell them."

"And if they don't feel the same," said Sasuke searching Iruka's face for honesty

"It doesn't matter," said Iruka shaking his head. "The fact is, if you aren't willing to tell them directly that means you don't respect them and what they have to say."

Sasuke became very still as Iruka's words sunk in. After a minute he produced one of his rare half-smiles. "Arigatou, Iruka-sensei," he said taking off again. The young man sprinted back in the direction of the hospital. Iruka could only guess what that was all about.

"Damn that Kakashi," he fumed, "he didn't make things any easier just now."

Iruka stormed back to the Ramen stand where Kakashi sat calmly reading his ecchi book. Iruka didn't even bother to comment on it as he was too focused on what just happened.

"What is your..."

Kakashi looked up with his visible eye. It glinted with a surprising intensity that frightened Iruka. The chuunin steeled himself to continue, but Kakashi interrupted him.

"I could not somach Sasuke's selfishness at the moment. Gomen Iruka, as you noticed before I'm kind of tired." he explained and with that Kakashi returned to reading.

Iruka's mouth worked a little and he seemed to want to tell him off in some way. "I would have thought you'd be the most understanding of his problems," he said to Kakashi. The jounin stoically just ignored him though and Iruka turned away disgusted to go search for Naruto.

Kakashi closed his book quietly turned to watch the man fold slowly into the dim of night. _"Would you still be so compassionate if you were there that day?"_ he thought accusingly at the man's back. _"Seeing Naruto as he was... how Sasuke had left him?"_

Kakashi rose and sighed to let the anger at Iruka's words seep away. His mind settled, he waved good night to the ramen cart owner as he was closing up and set off.

"I guess I'll stop by the hospital in the morning and see how Sakura is," he decided springing away. Kakashi had been on missions constantly for Tsunade since well before the mysterious explosion at her residence. During that time he had only gotten to check in on Sakura twice since her close call. She had been sleeping each time he had come by, but he was sort of glad at that. He felt oddly sentimental around her as of late.

Kakashi headed home to his bed while a different mission occupied Iruka as he trailed Naruto and Shikamaru. He had found the boys quickly after leaving Ichiraku and at first not wanting to interrupt their conversation, hung back. The chuunin soon found himself eavesdropping on their conversation.

Spying on Naruto was not what he had in mind, but Iruka was intensely curious to know what scheme Naruto was hatching. Iruka slipped up to the rooftops about them and listen with an ear to the edge.

"And you're sure about this?" Shikamaru said.

"Yup," said Naruto, "I heard this all from Tsunade. She thinks it will happen the day after they all leave. Since she'll be busy she wants you in charge of the main defense."

Shikamaru sighed. "This is a royal pain in the ass you know that? I gather that these two don't normally work together, so we have that to our advantage. What about their targets? I'm assume it's the scroll plus you or him...both?"

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said suddenly defensive. "We've already worked all that out. In fact, the Hokage said she got the idea from you! Just be ready the morning after they set out for Lightning Country. Jaa!"

Iruka heard Naruto leave and he relaxed a little._ "What the hell is going on! Why does Tsunade trust a bunch of teenagers with such important information and I still didn't find out about Sasuke,"_ worried Iruka as he lay on the roof.

"Oi! Iruka-sensei Daijobuka? You stuck up there?"

Iruka almost fell off the roof as he peaked over to see Shikamaru smiling up at him. Iruka tried to hide his embarrassment as he jumped down. "Shikamaru, I'm sorry to have spying on your conversation with Naruto, but I must ask you something. Did he mention what he was going to do about Sasuke?"

Shikamaru scratched his head a little as he answered. "Not really, but I don't think he knows yet either. But, Naruto and the Hokage have only told me what I need to know."

"But why all the secrecy!"

Shikamaru looked at Iruka for a long moment and let his former teacher come the answers himself. _"The Hokage obviously fears spying,"_ Iruka thought _",or even dissention among the upper-level shinobi on what she's planning. It's dangerous and Naruto is at the center or it." _

"I see." was all Iruka said to Shikamaru who nodded glad to see his sensei's brain was still functional.

Shikamaru turned to walk away when Iruka stopped him with another question. "Do you think that Naruto is doing the right thing, Shiakmaru, what if something bad happens."

"Iruka-sensei, I'm sorry I can't tell you more, because I don't know for sure. It's annoying, but Naruto and Tsunade are alike that way. They're both kind of obnoxious, but they have the strength to see things through no matter how tough it gets." Shikamaru grinned reassuringly. "Guess that's why they made such good leaders. Unlike me! Now please excuse me I need to get home before Ino gets mad."

The lazy looking nin made a face of mild disgust when he realized he just said something his dad would say. "God, I'm whipped," he mumbled to himself. "Goodnight Iruka sensei."

"Good night Shikamaru." he replied neutrally. Iruka watched the young man walk away.

Shikamaru, Naruto, so many children who he taught and helped raise were now becoming the soldiers who village would depend on. It all frightened him terribly at that moment. He had been a teacher for sometime now, but now the remembered faces these young men and women would haunt him as now fought and died for the village as adults.

Iruka looked up at the sky and took in its crystalline brilliance. He watched the soft play and pulse of the immeasureable stars, their vastness a soothing balm to his senses, washing away his fears.

Iruka replayed parts of the evening in his head and remembered an odd moment with an odd person._ "Kakashi had sounded so cynical,"_ he thought. The man implied that all ninja were just tools of the village. Iruka had thought that way too once, after his parents died, but Sandaime had helped him see things differently.

There was a pain in Kakashi, a sort of loneliness that made him want to comfort the powerful and perverted jounin. And at that, a strange idea popped into Iruka's head and he smiled as he just discovered an important new goal in life.

"I'll help you too, Kakashi-san," he told the starry sky.

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: To respond to some rumblings in the reviewer comments. I love the ShikaTemari idea and in this fic there is a history there ...but the details will be for another ficlet. Also the ultimate goal of this story is for Shikamaru and Ino to "live happily ever after" or something like that... As for the bastardization of Neji... I love Neji, he's adorable... it's just...he's getting the shitty end of the relationship stick for now... but I still think he's very Neji in this story.

Oh yeah, given the events in the naruto manga lately (Can you believe it?) this story is rapidly becoming an alternate universe. When it does truly break from the manga I'll let y'all know.


	20. Teaching Children

A/N: Hi, sorry, massive life issues stuff. I have loved all the death threats from my readers though, (so entertaining!)

Good news! Kishimoto-san didn't kill Neji or Choji, Woohoo! My fic is not AU quite yet! Looks like he's gonna go 'Z' soon in the manga so I'd better hurry up!

I have the flu; the typos here should be legendary.

Japanese fun: _'Sugoi!'_ means 'Awesome!' ; Bento is a Japanese lunch box, famous for its unique status among Japanese people in the care given to its attractive presentation.

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 20 – Teaching Children

Ino was running late very as she crammed a piece of toast in her mouth, put her dishes in the sink, and adjusted her weapons pouches for what seemed the zillionth time. She ran in the bathroom to double-check herself in the mirror and then came out again before going back into double-check double-checking. She searched her pouches one last time and moved her house keys from the shuriken holster to a scroll pouch. _"That would be embarrassing,"_ she thought as the image of tossing her keys at a target in front of her students today popped vividly into her mind. Facing the door, she spun around to spy the 'lump of her life' still curled in bed.

"Shikamaru get up! It's 8:30!"

A snore that sounded both impressive and fake came from his motionless form. Ino crossed her arms in annoyance, and tried again, "Listen, you've had off for four days now. Why don't you do something that doesn't involve a Go board!"

"Yes, dear," was the lump's plaintive and sleepy reply.

Ino grimaced. "If I have a sink full of dishes still when I get home, you're cooking dinner by yourself because I'll be eating at my house," she threatened.

The lump seemed wary now, but still motionless.

Ino sighed, she was only making herself later. "I'm leaving for work, Shikamaru," she informed him. A solitary arm emerged to flap a pathetic hand at her before collapsing back down.

Ino could only shake her head amazement, stifling a helpless laugh as she left his apartment. She locked the door to make sure no one would burglarize the place with him there and commented aloud, "Well, at least I don't have to wonder what he'll be like when were old together." She of course, didn't plan on getting old, but figured she better start saving up Shikamaru's money now for the inevitable plastic surgery and recuperative spa bills.

Thinking of Shikamaru as her "oji-san boyfriend" made her smile; he really did deserve the time off. The Hokage had run his team ragged the whole month before. Sakura was still recovering from her run with an S-class criminal and she knew that Hinata and Tenten were enjoying the chance to spend time with their loved ones as well.

"_It's odd that so few missions are happening now,"_ she thought to herself as she walked quickly down the street. Shikamaru had told her that the Hokage was preparing for some important trip up to the border with Lightning Country. She and the Raikage needed to resign some standing non-aggression pact between their two nations. He went on to explain to her it would take several days and Tsunade would return just before the Firenight Festival started. All the leaf shinobi needed to be on call to bolster the village's defenses as well provide an escort up to the meeting place.

Politics bored Ino. Her mind moved to other things as she passed the family store. There she caught a glimpse the little neko-kitty clock with a pendulum tail that her Mom kept above the cash register. The time on its silly face with the shifty eyes tail made her almost sit down in the street in shock.

"Soo na! 10 minutes to 9!" she exclaimed. Stomping her feet together as she gather her chakra she leapt up and deflecting lightly of walls and windowsills to gain the rooftops where she could dash along more quickly. Ino ran swiftly along springing over streets and through trees racing towards the academy.

She felt good as a light sheen of sweat build up on her face. _"Having Shikamaru home is wonderfully,"_ she thought, _"but it sure does break my workout routine."_ If Ino didn't cram some training in between classes and her part time job at the flower shop she was sure she'd lose all her skills.

By the time she got to the training field she saw that she had nothing to worry about. Sasuke was there watching as her dozen or so students practicing their weapons in orderly fashion. Ino walked out onto the field as Sasuke strolled over to greet her. "Slow morning?" he said teasingly.

Ino gave him a grateful nod. "Thanks for staring my class. Shikamaru being off all week has really messed up my schedule."

She happily surveyed the children as they threw shuriken and kunai with focused abandon. Ino was proud of them and what they had accomplished this summer. In fact, she was sure that when regular classes started after the festival, they would all be able to keep with the other kids in the class their age.

The whistle of spinning metal mixed with the soft whisper of impacts on dry straw. The scarecrow dummies Sasuke had setup were already bristling with hits. Ino also couldn't help but note the uncanny resemblance of the straw dolls to a certain masked genin sensei.

"Well, that's one way to work out your issues," she said dryly as she watched the kids practice. Sasuke didn't respond, but the hint of an impish smile shaped his mouth.

They watched on for a bit, when Ino noted that a student on the end of the line was stalling. It was Kaede and she hadn't thrown a weapon in quite some time. Ino turned to go over to her when she saw that Sasuke was almost there. _"He's already gotten them this far,"_ she thought. She moved within earshot, but decided to stay back to let him handle it.

Sasuke walked up beside the little girl who always wore her curly hair in pigtails that looked like balls of caramel popcorn. She looked up at him with teary eyes and threw her hands behind back quickly. He knelt down so his face was level with hers and he could speak quietly without drawing the attention of the other children.

"What's wrong Kaeda-chan?" he asked as she blinked away the tears in embarrassment.

"Sasuke-sensei, I ..." she began her soft voice trailing off. Ino could barely hear but resisted creeping over. She was often reminded of a younger Hinata in way the girl spoke and acted.

Sasuke tried to look around her shoulder as the little girl twisted away. He looked her in the eyes and nodded to give Kaede the assurance that it was alright. She reluctantly put out her balled hands opening them to reveal blood both fresh and dried highlighting a series of cuts some deep along palms and fingers.

Sasuke took out a first aid kit and cleaned her up quickly wrapping the more serious cuts in small strips of bandage. The tears faded with his calm patience and when he was finished he looked at the shuriken holster strapped to her leg.

"Can I please see you holster, Kaede?" Sasuke asked.

She unstrapped it and handed it to him. Sasuke flipped open the flap to reveal neatly oiled shuriken set orderly rows along in it's the hard leather slots. Taking one out he placed it in the palm of his hand.

"When I was little," he began, "I always wanted to throw shuriken like my brother and because my hands were smaller then I would always cut myself when I tried to hold them the way he did."

Kaede listened intently as he talked, knowing now that he had the same problem she did. Ino listened intently too, but for other reasons. The mention of Sasuke's brother was even more taboo than Choji's waistline and Sasuke never volunteered information him.

"So one day," Sasuke continued, "he found me with my hands looking a lot like yours and said to me 'silly little brother your not big enough yet to throw them like that yet' and with that he showed me another way."

"Show me how Sasuke-sensei!" Kaede said eagerly.

Sasuke explained to Kaede the way using the shuriken's fingertip hole for throwing while Ino backed away. She was impressed once again with Iruka-sensei's genius in placing Sasuke in a teaching role here. The children with their honest and need for care and attention were really the perfect solution to Sasuke's difficulty with emotion and human contact.

Kaede was back to throwing with fervor that matched the roughest boys and after a few minutes more she whistled for a break. The student all plopping down in a circle the grass to drink from their water bottles while Ino began to discuss the finer point of the weaponry.

"Remember a kunai flies farther in a straight line, but a shuriken can be made to curve and turn in the air much easier," she instructed. "Each weapon cuts differently as well. A shuriken spins as its cuts...yes Ryoji a question," Ino interrupted herself looking at the boy who normally only raised his hand to go to the bathroom.

"Ino-sensei, what is the most difficult technique we have to do with weapons for the academy exam?"

Ino paused for a moment. It was a matter of choice as far as she could see. She looked at Sasuke as she searched for what to say.

Sasuke shrugged. He offered, "The eight-fold fan?"

Ino considered his suggestion for a moment. "I guess that's about right."

A chorus of voices from the children seated around them, "Can we see it!"

Sasuke smiled and turning walked a couple paces away to size up one of the straw targets. His hands disappeared into the belt pouch at his back to return bristling with kunai. He crossed his arms and then let the knives fly wide in a release. Eight kunai shot away to fan out in all directions then at the halfway point between the Sasuke and his target they magically seemed to curve back in toward the dummy to meet it with a staccato of hits.

"Uah, Sugoi !" the students yelled in amazement. Tsume, Kiba's little brother boasted, "See! Sasuke-nii is the best!" The boys all joined in agreement. However, one little girl, Kanae, face screwed up sudden in annoyance. Being the strongest girl in the class Mitarashi Kanae had her own personal agenda of women's liberation. She reminded Ino a lot of herself at that age.

"Ino-sensei?" said the piqued girl.

"Yes, Kanae-chan," Ino said.

"You can do that too right?" she asked fiercely.

The question brought a sudden hush to the raucous boys.

"Oh! I don't know if I can do that anymore," her young sensei fibbed, having some fun, "It looks really hard now!"

Ino walked past Sasuke who gave her a half-smile and rolled of his eyes as she passed him.

She flicked her hands into her own pouch, thinking once again she was glad she moved her house keys. She brought out eight kunai and performed the same motions as Sasuke had. Her kunai fanned out like his but at their approach to the target they came together early in a neat rotation together spiraling until they hit the target. The kunai studded the straw training dummies chest in a perfect circle and this time the girls erupted in cheers.

"Ino-sensei is amazing! See she can do anything Sasuke-nii-san can!" yelled Kanae at the boys who all had astonished looks on their faces.

Ino brushed a hair out her face as she basked a little in her students' admiration. She looked over stuck her tongue out at her competition. Sasuke gave a small shrug and keep his patented half-smile rolled his eyes again as if to say "whatever".

"Alright that's enough for today everyone back inside and start eating lunch." she told them. The children all scrambled off to run for food while she glanced back at the targets with a sigh. Sasuke's technique had in fact been better than hers. His kunai targeted the throat, eyes, armpit and other vital points on the dummy while hers had made a pretty and very avoidable circle. _"I should probably point that out to them after lunch,"_ she chided herself. When she looked back for her teaching assistant she saw he was halfway crossed the field going back to the teacher's lounge. She was about to call out for him to join them when she saw Naruto appeared beside suddenly him in a swirl of leaves. If Sasuke was surprised he didn't show it. What was even more strange was that all Naruto did was nod his head towards the back of the training field and then stroll over in that direction. Sasuke stared blankly at his back for bit before slowly following.

"_That's odd,"_ she thought. _"They almost never talk to each other voluntarily."_ It wasn't that they didn't like each other, according to Sakura, it was supposedly much more complicated than that. "Of course, everything's more complicated when it comes to infamous former genin team number seven." she thought dismissively.

Ino walked back into the building as her class ate and carried on. Ignoring them she sat down to serenely enjoy her perfect handmade bento. She felt like a pool of calm in a maelstrom.

"_Shikamaru doesn't realize how lucky he is."_ she thought with unabashed self-praise for her cooking.

Ino finished up and carefully cleaned out her lacquered lunch box, a lovely present from her daddy when she began teaching, and having tidied up called the class back to order.

"Ok, everyone," she said, "clean up and then get your note scrolls. We are going to talk about missions and teamwork today." There was a couple sheeshs and moans but the kids didn't protest too much. With the summer heat wearing on, the afternoons had become too steamy for real activity.

Seeing her students with pencils ready Ino started her lecture. "First I'm going to talk about ninja teams. Teams can be as small as three people or as big as twelve or fifteen ninja... Does anyone know how many people are on a genin team?" she asked.

The room became tense and the students who didn't have a clue as to the answer immediately broke eye contact with Ino alerting her to there lack of knowledge. She decided on being a little cruel.

"Ryoji."

The fidgety boy who was the best taijutsu fighter in her class looked as if Ino had goosed him when she called his name. He stalled pulling nervously at the spiked dog collar around his neck, a gift from his number one best friend, Tsume. _"Poor Ryoji,"_ Ino thought as she waited for the guessing to start, "_When it comes to the intellectual side of being a ninja, you remind me of how Naruto was... well, at least he didn't turn out too bad."_

"Ryoji-kun? Your answer?"

"Hai, Ino-sensei...eeto...3?"

"Baka!" yelled Kanae from the seat two rows behind him, "You're wrong it's four!"

Ino put her hands up to stop their snipping. "Actually you are both right! Genin teams start as three genin with a jounin assigned to oversee their first dozen or so missions. Most ninja would say it's technically four, but three is really what it is."

"Who leads the team after the jounin leaves, sensei?" asked Tsume with his puppy Goro snoozing peacefully on his head.

"Well, it depends," Ino told them, "Some things change, but most often a Chuunin is then assigned."

"Cause they're stronger, right?" said Ryoji emboldened by his rare correct response.

"Not necessarily Ryoji," Ino corrected, "A Chuunin could be physically weaker than some genin or even know less ninjutsu. A Chuunin is made a team leader because they are able to made tough decisions to complete the mission and always focused on keeping the team."

Ryoji looked unconvinced. "What kinda decisions? You find the bad ninja and you kick their butt, ne?"

The rest of the class seemed swayed by Ryoji's straightforward point of view and Ino realized she needed to be more persuasive. She opened her mouth to explain more, but was abruptly interrupted.

Sasuke stood towards the back the class by one of the open windows. Ino was positive he hadn't been there a second ago. Worse, she hadn't even sensed his presence approaching.

"Sometimes ninja are asked to do things they don't want to do," he said to the class sharply. There was a certain edge to his tone that made Ino feel uncomfortable.

"_He's acting weird,"_ she thought.

The class looked up at him, their hero, eager for his opinion. "Like what Sasuke-nii-san," asked Kaede in her small voice.

Sasuke looked away from them as he spoke. "A ninja must prepare for when he is asked to doing something that seems wrong to achieve the goal of completing their task... Let me ask you. Could any of you kill a family member or even your best friend to complete a mission?"

The class seemed to breathe in shock together. Ino felt herself do the same. This type of conversation wasn't appropriate for academy students on the verge of the genin exam, let alone for eight year olds.

Gulping in discomfort, Ryoji was the first to speak again. He asked, "Could you kill your best friend, Sasuke-nii?"

Sasuke turned back to them and the coldness of his reptilian-like stare froze them all unblinking. It was look that reminded Ino faintly of someone she had met a long time ago.

A peculiar sort of laugh came from Sasuke that shook his thin frame. "No," he said, "I couldn't... but someday soon I'll be able to change that."

Sasuke walked slowly towards the door and paused just before he exited with his back to Ino to whisper, "See you around Ino."

His departed marked the eruption of muffled tears on several faces. Ino realized she hadn't said a peep while Sasuke traumatized her kids. She became instantly furious and took a step towards the doorway. Once there she saw him walking away crossed the training field and opened her mouth to give me a piece of her mind. The memory of his face just now flashed through her mind and her voice wilted away to nothingness. A sinister fear gripped her like tendrils coiling in her chest.

"_I'm terrified,"_ she thought.

After a shiver passed threw her she watched him exit out the school yard gate. Ino leaned against the wall for support as she could barely just whisper the name of the person she had been reminded of before. In doing so, she put great emphasis on it's dark and tragic beginning.

"Uchiha... Sasuke."

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: I'll write more soon! Promise! Beware! I'm melodramatic when ill. 


	21. Sideline

A/N: A quick update!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 21 – Sideline

Kakashi could tell it was early afternoon when he awoke groggily a day after his disagreeable dinner with Iruka. The light that slipped around the edges of his pulled blinds had a certain persistent warmth to it that mornings usually lacked. He turned over in his bed to glance at the alarm clock for confirmation and then became still again to ponder the oddity.

Kakashi didn't often oversleep. Given his habit for lateness and love for napping, not even his former students would have known that he was actually an early riser.

He pushed the sheets back and sat up at the bedside to rub the tiredness from his eyes. _"Might as well enjoy_ _the break,"_ he decided to himself. Kakashi stood up and wandered into his bathroom for a long and hot shower. Taking his time afterwards he walked around his apartment naked for at least for a half an hour to straighten his book piles, throw out some of the dead things out of his fridge and water Mr. Ukki, his beloved house plant.

As Kakashi finished up putting by some dishes in his sink, he looked back at Mr. Ukki who had his name written in white chalk on the rim of the red clay pot that was his home. "Don't look at me like that," he told the fern. "Why care about being naked when your single and you don't have a roommate?" Mr. Ukki, always a stickler for propriety, seemed unconvinced. "Ok, ok! I'll get dressed," Kakashi relented. "Geez who knew plants could be this bossy?"

The jounin went to his dresser and pulled out the first piece of clothing he wore everyday, a fresh mask. He pulled it over his head and with a few practiced tugs set it perfectly in place letting out a sigh of contentment. He almost laughed at himself when he caught his reflection in the mirror. Here was a grown man in his birthday suit wearing nothing but a face mask.

_"I look like a character in one of the Icha Icha_ _manga,"_ he thought. The funny thing was he felt perfect clothed as long as he had his mask on. Pants were truly optional. He finished dressing at a leisurely pace that Nara Shikamaru would have been happy with and then walked over to a window, doffing the blind to stare out in annoyance.

"_Where is that damned bird?"_ he wondered.

A brown sparrowhawk was the signal bird of choice for the Konoha mission dispatcher. Kakashi was pretty sure that they had been using the exact same bird to find him in the village now for the last dozen or so years. The thing had this uncanny ability to find him anywhere at anytime. He had stopped questioning its freakish ability a long time ago, but to not have it shrieking and dive bombing his house when he was back from an A-rank mission. A mission he hadn't given his report on yet was well... just plain odd.

Kakashi was tired of waiting. He disappeared from his bedroom to appear on his roof an instant later and sprinted away over the rooftops towards the Hokage's home. He was rushing because he felt angry for some strange reason. A reason he could not quite figure out. He was positive that he could have strolled over to her house stopping to talk to every person he met along the way and that stupid bird wouldn't ever appear.

When he got close enough to teleport himself into the Hokage's office, he did not hesitate. He performed the jutsu in the blink of an eye and found himself staring at an empty chair in an empty room.

Kakashi knew that he shouldn't have entered the Hokage's mansion with ninjutsu, but he was letting his emotional state drive him. Without Tsunade being right there to confront it sort of robbed him of his momentum. _"I guess I should go look for her,"_ he thought, calming down. Kakashi wandered out of the room figuring he would check downstairs. After all, it was really a big place for one person.

It did not take him long at all. He went into the Hokage's library with its red-green marble columns and endless shelves of dust and scroll to find Tsunade poised in the middle of the room. She stood tapping her foot as she stared hands on hips at a cast iron scroll stand she had setup in a washtub full of steaming water. The summoning scroll on the stand was peculiar looking in that it had a reddish sort of glow around it.

"There's something sealed in that," he informed her nonchalantly.

Tsunade's foot stopped tapping, but her gaze stayed fixed on the scroll. "I know that," she said in a dissatisfied tone. "I'm trying to figure out how to move it."

Snapping out of concentration, the Hokage spun turned to face him finally. "Kakashi!" she said in mild surprise, "I wasn't expecting to see you."

The scarecrow-nin felt his visible eye twitch uncontrollably as he remembered that he too was annoyed about something. "I've come to give my report Hokage-sama," he said woodenly.

"Oh, don't worry about it," she told him with a smile. "You can go." Tsunade turned back quickly to her glowing scroll problem.

Kakashi could feel his blood begin to boil. He turned to leave when he stopped to loo back and open his mouth again. He knew it wasn't a good idea.

"Why did you sent on that mission when you don't even care how it went?" he asked peevishly.

Tsunade ignored him, which alas only fanned Kakashi's ire.

"Why was that even A ranked?" he went on. "A chuunin or even an adult genin could deliver a letter... and you had me practically sneaking out of Konoha. Why?"

Tsunade sighed and responded, but not with an answer. "Kakashi, I'm busy right now and I'm expecting another visitor soon. Can we discuss this later?"

Kakashi was still exhausted from the long string of missions he had just completed for her. Each one had been the delivery of a letter to different daimyo house or to a Leaf operative in every major town from here to the Lightning Country border. He, of course, didn't read the details of each letter, but was sure that they were concerning the Hokage's upcoming trip to meet with the Raikage in Suzurimura. It was a town on the border between Lightning and Fire in old Sound Country, considered a neutral territory by both nations.

"_I figured that she wanted a jounin to do it for fear that it would be intercepted by someone look to sabotage the meeting. Still...and then with all the dire secrecy, not telling anyone including other jounin where I'm going on a mission."_ Kakashi closed his eye and let his whirling mind become still. He wasn't sure how long it took, but the answer to the Hokage's little game was becoming clear to him slowly.

"You know I passed Iwashi on the road when I was returning," he began. Tsunade still seemed intent on not paying him any mind and Kakashi's voice took a false levity, "You'll never guess what he was doing! He said that he had been given the honor of delivering announcements for your upcoming trip." Kakashi's sarcasm deepened. "Which was funny cause here I thought that's what I was doing."

Tsunade had clearly heard the last part. "Kakashi your job is to complete missions not interrogate the Hokage," she said coolly. "I suggest you walk out of here now."

Kakashi heard the warning in there and realized that he was overstepping certain boundaries he normally skirted to begin with. _"She's right I'm out of line,"_ he thought. He was about to leave when he decided that since he had pissed her off he might as well ask her another thing that had been bugging him.

"Anyway, did you know the Anbu watching Uchiha Sasuke let him run around at night now? I thought he still had a curfew."

Kakashi was surprised when he finally got Tsunade's attention. She looked away from her scroll to give him a face with fiery eyes that neared rage. "Of course I know! They are my Anbu! Perhaps, I should have some them escort you out!"

Kakashi shoved his hand his pockets and just shrugged. It was his natural reaction in situations like this; he didn't respond well to threats. "I figured I'd let you know since we both know Orochimaru has been active near Fire Country again..." Suddenly it all came together for him

"You're not planning on going up to see the Raikage." he said with his epiphany. "What are you planning to do with Sasuke then?"

Tsunade appeared to settle down from the fury she had been building up to just a moment before. A warm smile settled on her face as she shook her head in a rueful way. "Kakashi... you..."

He watched as she walked toward him and didn't even think it to take his hands out of his pockets as Tsunade covered the last three feet between them in an instant of blinding speed. A purplish glow had flickered on her right hand as she landed it solidly on his chest.

All the feeling went out of him at once and he sensed his body was collapsing to the floor. Tsunade grabbed the front of his flak jacket before he fell and tossed him like a rag doll to a seat on the couch she had near the scroll stand. Kakashi's eye was still open but he was unable move a single muscle in his body.

"I can't breathe, "he realized.

Tsunade walked over to the couch and sat beside him. Her hands flashed through several seals until they gained another purplish aura. This time she laid her hands on either side of his neck and as she did so Kakashi felt the sweetness of air enter his lungs again.

While the jounin recovered Tsunade leaned over toward the table that laid beside the couch and picked up several of sake bottles that littered its surface. Giving each a good swirl she kept going until she found one that wasn't empty yet.

"Tsunade... you..." Kakashi sputtered.

"You left me little choice Kakashi," Hokage said calmly with a wave of hand. "I know Sandaime indulged you often, but I'm not blessed with his patience or good humour". She paused as she took a sip of rice wine.

The Godaime reclined back before continuing. "Yes, you certainly are a genius," she informed him, "and you were exactly the person I need for those missions."

"What about Sasuke?" he said haltingly. Whatever she had done to him made it a challenge to speak.

"I've temporarily paralyzed your extraskeletal musculature from the neck down Kakashi. You will remain that way for the next day until certain things I'm setting up are in place. If I could be sure you'd be a good boy and listen then I wouldn't need to do this." The Hokage finished her drink in long swallow. "I don't have time to overlook your selfish ways right now."

"What about Sasuke?" he repeated with slight rasp.

She glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. "I wasn't lying when I said I was waiting for a visitor. We don't have long to talk."

She looked at him silently as his eyebrow was still knitted in anger. Her voice softened to almost apologetic as she said, "I don't know about Sasuke, but I can tell you this. You failed to help him when he was a boy and then I did little better other than not letting the village elders execute him...with what's about to happen I think it's time that I let the person who can help him do so."

Kakashi's eye narrowed a little. "Naruto?"

Tsunade refilled her glass only finish it again in a long swallow. "Maybe it was the third generation's mistake," she said peering into her empty cup. "We tried to prevent the sins of the pass from occurring ever again...Maybe they just aren't our sins anymore."

Tsunade stood up and paced to the library's closed doors before returning to stand over the famous and powerful man known as the "copy eye ninja", an elite jounin of a thousand techniques. One of the strongest ninja Konoha had ever produced, whom she now had as defenseless as a newborn.

"I'm sorry I can't give you more," she said to him sincerely. With that, the Hokage laid her hand gently on his head and Kakashi could feel the light pressure of it on his unkempt hair. His eyes, both covered and not, began to flutter closed as a great tiredness fell on him.

Kakashi fought the feeling as long as he could and heard voices around him that grew fainter with passing moment.

"Tsunade-oba-chan, what's wrong with Kakashi-sensei!"

"He's fine Naruto he just needs some rest. Izumo! Kotetsu! Come in here. I need you to take..."

Kakashi could hear no more as he drifted off into oblivion, his part in the world's happenings suspended by Tsunade for a brief time.

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: I probably should have revised this a little more, oh well. The plotlines are all coming together soon! Also I consider the next chapter which will be called "Damage" probably the best action chapter I've written yet. Stay tuned! 


	22. Damage

A/N: A long, long, chapter, but the good news is no cliffhanger! FYI, this happens the next morning after Chapter 21.

Japanese fun: Ikuzuo 'Let's go!'; Bakana 'Impossible or Absurd'; Soo desu ne 'It's true.'; Genki 'healthy'

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 22 – Damage

Shikamaru woke up slowly let to his eyes ease into their job of seeing as he felt the soft white luminance of sunrise play over bed and blanket. The warm pressure of Ino laid curled in his arms. Looking down he studied for a while like an artist with his canvas. With her back to his chest he felt the slow and steady crest and fall her body made while breathing in rythym with his.

She was exquisite.

"I love you so much," he thought, contemplating her sleeping form.

He loved the curve of her neck, the smell of her hair and the way it would tickle him. He loved the little murmuring sound she made when she was asleep, the way she scrunched her nose and the impish smile she wore when her dreams got to the best part. He loved the way she hogged the covers, the one big freckle she had on her right shoulder and the way she would always complain about it. he loved her eyes, colored like the clear sky, her rosy, soft lips and the way she would pout with them.

"I'm so pathetic," he chided himself coming out of his reverie. Sometime ago watching Ino sleeping had ranked higher than clouds as one of his favorite subjects. If she knew he did this she'd call him a big freak. That was ok, he loved that about her too.

Shikamaru couldn't dally. He had places to be this morning as his hiatus from missions was at an end. He crept carefully out of bed and extricated his arm gently from under his sleeping lover. Ino, feeling his warmth gone, shivered a little as he left then curled deeper under the sheets.

"Shika…" she mumbled as her hand slid over to touch where he had been. He worried for a second that she might wake up, but she remained in her dreams after that one gesture.

He felt bad leaving like this, but he wanted her to rest. Ino had been shaken up about something yesterday and strangely wouldn't tell him anything about it. The most disturbing part was how the entire evening she kept asking him to hold her. It was as if she needed comfort every other moment.

"I'm not complaining," he thought, "but that's not like her at all." Ino was a strong-willed, independent woman. She was always grading papers or finishing lesson plans or doing chores, all normally when he would rather they just fool around in bed. "Last night though…"he wondered, "…maybe I can grab Iruka today to ask him happened." He supposed he could ask Sasuke too, but he preferred not. "I still hate that guy," swore silently.

Ever since his first mission to get him back from Orochimaru had failed and his team had almost died Shikamaru held a silent grudge against Sasuke that he didn't admit to anyone, especially Ino. Hearing her defend Sasuke, her childhood crush, was more than Shikamaru could take honestly. It was probably childish of him, but he still saw Sasuke as his rival for Ino's affection. "Well, at least I don't pretend I'm not a jealous bastard," he thought amusingly.

It suddenly occurred to Shikamaru that he hadn't done thing besides get out of bed yet.

Moving silently and swiftly the young chuunin jumped in and out of his cramped bathroom and had himself ready to depart in no time flat. As far as Shikamaru was concerned lazy and slow were completely different states of being. 'Lazy' had classy, independent ring to it, while the word 'slow' ran a little too close to the word 'stupid' in his book.

He watched Ino sleep for just a little more and then exited his apartment with a jutsu. Moving neither fast nor slow he walked over to the training field where he knew at least two members of his team would be. Sakura had only gotten discharged from the hospital only two days ago, but she had Hinata up at the crack of dawn everyday since to train with her. His soft spoken medical ninja was always a good friend and obliged Sakura without complaint. Shikamaru found them right away identical in their movements as they worked steadily through a routine of the Hyuga style.

Shikamaru was amazed. "Only Sakura would try to learn a technique that was made for an enhanced bloodline." She was crazy like that, of course given everything she had learned under Tsunade, maybe it was to be expected. Still he was happy she was on his team. Her intelligence outstripped his own in certain ways and she was a ruthless fighter. Deep down hoped that Tsunade would never select her as one of his opponents if he ever went for the jounin exam.

"Which of course, given my luck, she definitely will be one of them," he deduced sarcastically.

The girls ended and broke out their bottles of water as he reached them.

"Ohayo," he greeted them.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," said Hinata with a smile.

Sakura was still catching her breath. "A little early for you isn't it?" she asked jokingly.

"Maa, a captain has set a good example now and then," he replied with a shrug.

"Oi! What's this!" someone yelled in an accusatory tone.

They all turned to see their final team member running up, her patented hairstyle sporting green ribbons today which matched her sleeveless top to perfection.

Tenten looked suspiciously at all of them. "Is this a secret meeting behind my back?"

Hinata laughed, a small tinkling thing that fit her manner well. "We are as surprised as you," she said.

Shikamaru realized they were all staring as him. "What?" he said, "I get up early occasionally!" This response only earned him looks of disbelief. "Mou! Don't look at me like that!" he protested again, "It happens." A rare blush spread on his cheeks that soon had his all-female squad rolling in stitches.

"Ok, ok!" he said trying to act serious, "Since we're all here we can walk over to the North Gatehouse together to see Tsunade off to Suzurimura for the meeting with the Raikage."

The girls sobered reluctantly and nodded in agreement. Shikamaru's team strolled along at a pace more to his liking. He was left alone to enjoy the cool air of the morning and crystal blue sky filled with all its interesting fluffy clouds. Meanwhile his team enjoyed what he assumed all women did in groups. They talked about everyone who was not there.

"You're looking genki, Sakura, Tenten said as they strolled along keeping their captain's pace, "Looks like you're already running poor Hinata into the ground."

"Soo desu ne," Sakura said, "I'm such a bad friend!"

Hinata looked distressed. "No you're not! I needed to start training again anyway, "she protested.

Sakura and Tenten shared an indulgent smile. Hinata was so easy to tease sometimes it was almost impossible not to.

"Has Naruto started missions again too?" Tenten asked to change the subject.

Hinata looked pensive for a moment and then replied, "I think so. He won't say much. It is very odd for him too. It's almost like he's hiding something."

Sakura's eyebrows raised as she interpreted the meaning behind Hinata's words. Her mild-mannered friend always saw the best in everyone, in fact her term for S-class criminals was "not nice people". For her to even mention that Naruto was acting funny was noteworthy.

"Tell me," the pink haired kunoichi asked, "was he squinting a lot and doing that thing where his upper lip stops moving."

Hinata put a finger to her lips as she thought about it, "Anoo, I think maybe."

Tenten saw Sakura nod at Hinata's verification. "You're good Sakura!"

"No," said Sakura, "I just got really good at knowing when Naruto lies. It's something anyone will pick if they're around him enough."

"You mean he lies all the time!" said Hinata nervously.

"Oh no! gomen Hinata," said Sakura quickly, "It's just he's so bad at it!"

Hinata let out a sigh of relief which caused Tenten to laugh. "Hinata, It's a good thing! It's much better to have a boyfriend who can't lie than someone who can talk their way out of anything. Sakura, I don't know how you managed for so long."

"Whatever do you mean!" asked Sakura.

"Nothing," Tenten said sounding nonchalant. "It's just Neji is a very smooth talker."

"I always though Neji-nii-san told the truth," said Hinata doubtfully.

"Yeah, his version." said Tenten and Sakura together in accidental unison. The girls laughed at the unexpected timing causing Sakura to once again wonder secretly if Tenten ever had a crush on Neji.

Shikamaru sighed as he resisted quickening his pace to escape them. "This has to be therapeutic for them," he thought. Meanwhile this type of conversation tortured him, but whatever, he highly doubted Ino obsessed this much about him.

"I wonder what she's doing right now," he thought, "It would have been nice to sleep in today."

Shikamaru froze in the middle of the street causing his squad to stop in concern a few feet behind. "Shikamaru-kun?" said Hinata hesitantly, "Is something wrong?"

Shikamaru didn't answer her question, instead he seemed to address the very air. "Is there something we can do for you?" he inquired casually in a loud voice.

Just to the left of the chuunin team a tall ninja in a white animal mask appeared, the sunlight almost seeming to glisten on his silvery uniform. He folded his arms and radiating a relaxed, but no nonsense aura.

"I'm impressed," the Anbu told Shikamaru and so were the girls. Anbu were notoriously good at hiding their presense and none of them had detected a thing.

"Haven't seen Uchiha Sasuke this morning?" the man asked. Shikamaru hesitated before shaking his head no.

The Anbu nodded slightly and was about to disappear when Sakura called out, "Wait! Did something happen to Sasuke?" The masked man turned to take a small step towards her then stepped back.

"He must be one of the Anbu who watch Uchiha's house all the time," thought Shikamaru. "He must know Sakura well."

"You should tell him to get home quickly," the masked-nin said in a deadly earnest way. The man was gone in the blink of an eye.

Sakura looked franticly at Shikamaru who put his hands up. "We can't do anything about this Sakura," he said, "We don't know even where he is and the Anbu are already on his trail."

"But what if he's trying to leave the village!" she said desperately.

"No, it's not our mission."

"I have to go!" she said near shouting.

The chuunin captain was taken back when Sakura yelled at him. She very rarely countered his orders and even socially she was an agreeable person most of the time. He locked into her fiery green stare with his own stony brown gaze. In this battle of wills he wasn't going to lose, but it was damn hard not to flinch.

"Onegai Shikamaru," Sakura said stiffly, "I know where he'll go."

"Yeah, I'll definite have to face her if I go Jounin," a small, but very sarcastic part of his brain silently commented.

He gave in. Closing his eyes and rubbing them a little he said, "Ok, Sakura you take point. Tenten and I will follow. Hinata turn on your wide lenses and trail us. Use a bluejay call if you spot anything."

Sakura's face flooded with relief, without pause she exploded to the rooftops. The rest of the team moved to follow matching her pace. At top speed they operated as if deep in foreign territory on a mission, not in the village they called home. As they sprinted along Shikamaru noticed that all the streets were deserted. "Everyone is at the Hokage's sendoff for Lightning Country," he realized, "If Sasuke was going to try and escape he couldn't have chosen a more perfect time."

Sakura seemed to be flying as her feet barely touched the ledges and walls she leapt from. The team had been running for only a few minutes when without warning Sakura jumped down to a cobble paved road. It was a rather unremarkable street having no houses on it and little else besides a few park benches. Shikamaru landed with Tenten near Sakura and it was then he noticed they were just west of the ninja administration building.

"Hinata," said Sakura as if talking to an imaginary friend, "has anyone been through here recently."

The woman she spoke to appeared out of thin air beside her. "Let me check," she said. Hinata scanned with her Byakugan walking slowly forward. She bent down after only a few yards ahead. "Yes," she informed them, "someone landed here and then went into the trees heading directly west. There is very little dirt where the person's sandal made friction with pavement…. I'd say less than a half an hour."

Sakura grinned with a predatory smile as the hunt was on. She jumped into the trees where Hinata had directed and the team followed falling back into the formation Shikamaru had placed them.

Shikamaru was used to Sakura directing from the lead position. In their team dynamics it was usually either her or him that led. However, as the team flew over the massive curtain wall that marked their departure from the village proper to the forest beyond he became uncomfortable.

"Even thought I agreed to do this, this isn't a real mission," he thought, "I'm not letting Sakura take us halfway to Sound Country either."

He watched the pink haired girl from behind and mulled over how hard she would argue with him when he called an end to this goose chase.

They were moving very fast into the forest and the trees grew in size as they entered an older patch of moss covered giants. Sakura landed on the ground in a small clearing under the towering canopy with Shikamaru and Tenten landing a pace behind. "Where to now fearless leader?" said Shikamaru being mildly asinine.

Sakura ignored his comment and looked around to search. "Hinata," she said again calling on the concealed woman who was their backup, "Can you look here too?"

They waited for Hinata to appear with her near perfect tracking ability, yet the forest remained silent. As the seconds dragged to a minute with no sign of their last team member worry began to sprout in their minds.

Shikamaru was concerned. "Hinata," he called into the trees looking behind them. Sakura interrupted his call gasping sharply. Shikamaru and Tenten turn back to her in alarm, their eyes instantly shifting to where she pointed.

On a branch above them was Hinata, a limp form, held like a sack in the arm of a man whom they all remembered well. His white shorts and blue cowled jacket were like a seal and signature to a former life and the red and white fan insignia emblazoned on his back gave him a near sinister air. His hair was cropped short again and almost completely gone were the signs his captive life. The lone exception were the glasses he wore pushing them slightly up the bridge of his nose with a middle finger.

Sasuke did not waste words on them with a familiar arrogant smirk plastered on his face as he tossed the unconscious Hinata down to the forest floor. Shikamaru ran forward to catch her as Tenten bared her teeth in rage. "Come on you bastard!" she yelled. The weapons specialist pulled out collapsed weapon from a holster and brandished it instantly into its full form, a kusarigama. She twirled the weighted chain above her head with whistling speed before releasing it with her characteristic accuracy.

"Gotcha," Shikamaru said as he caught Hinata and sprung to the side to get her out of harm's way. He cradled her in his arms as he felt for her weak, but steady pulse. Doing so, he registered the whistle of thrown weapons approaching him from behind. Out of the corner of his eye three senbon he knew Sasuke must have thrown hurtled towards him. The chuunin captain tried to duck and shelter Hinata as the needles caught him in the shoulder. He winced at pain but knew thankfully that all vital areas were missed. The captain laid Hinata down behind a tree and turned back to the fight

Tenten stood her feet set wide as she pulled taunt the chain she had successfully wrapped around her foe. Sasuke stood bracing with his own weight on a branch as she tried to rip him out of the tree. Shikamaru start to run forward bringing his hands up for a jutsu when his legs gave out from under him. The world was spinning, he collapsed in front of the same tree he had just placed Hinata behind.

"Poison," he thought he reaching up with pluck out the senbon. His hand crept up towards his shoulder when it seemed to fall dead to sleep. The paralyzing effect was quick and Shikamaru found that he couldn't move any limb at all. He concentrated to slow his hearbeat down to retard the poison's spread, but he knew that without Hinata there to aid him there was little he could do.

He sat like a spectator watching Tenten and Sasuke struggle. The kunoichi wrapped the chain expertly about an elbow as she took a step closer and put her back into it. Sasuke meanwhile did not seem worried as he easily held himself up on his perch.

"Weak," he commented disdainfully at her efforts.

Shikamura saw that Sakura hadn't moved from the spot where she had originally spied the escaped nin in the trees. "What is she doing!" he thought furiously. "Sakura! Wake up!" he yelled. The catatonic girl who had her hands over her mouth turned to him to stare with confusion. Shikamaru tried to say more but nothing came out as his voice too became a whisper due to the paralyzing poison.

Tenten grimaced with effort to yank him down, but Sasuke remained like stone. His smile deepened a little as he grabbed the chain and pulled hard drawing Tenten off her feet. The Uchiha scion leapt down in a collision course with the surprised kunoichi.

"He's too strong for her," Shikamaru thought, cursing Rock Lee for being foolish enough to train the criminal who was about to defeat his bride-to-be.

Sasuke met her in the air snatching the sickle weapon from her hands and landing a punishing fist to her midsection. Tenten grunted with pain as her eyes rolled back in her head. She lost consciousness in the air as her body hit the ground numbly. Sasuke landed beside her and taking the kusarigama chain quickly wrapping it around Tenten. He then tossed her limp form over besides Shikamaru.

Sasuke smiled and gave Shikamaru a small wave goodbye as there eyes met. "Let's see you smile like that when I rip your jaw out asshole," Shikamaru thought viciously. The young chuunin was enraged. "Not dangerous with his chakra sealed they said," he thought disgustedly. He willed his left hand towards the poisoned senbon again but it lay still on his chest. Sasuke turned away and Shikamaru's eyes shifted to Sakura who still hadn't budged. He had never seen her like this.

Sasuke appeared ready to leave as he glanced up into trees. "Catch you later Sakura," he said not looking at her. However, the answer he got was quite unexpected. His eyes widened as a kunai whistled past his ear cutting off a strand of his hair and nailing it to the tree in front of him.

He turned back to see Sakura glaring at him with a determined expression. A small trickle of blood ran from her lips and also from her left hand where she had bit down hard on her knuckle to dispel her fear.

"You are not going anywhere, Sasuke," she said in a veiled threat.

Sasuke shook his hear like he was talking to a child. "I'm too fast, you'll never catch me."

She smiled sweetly. Her respond was just as condescending, "You can run all you want in the genjutsu I put you in, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke looked darkly at her. "Don't get in my way, Sakura."

Sakura eased into a fight stance Shikamaru recognized well from this morning. "I'm not the girl you left on that bench Sasuke," she said in a steely voice.

Shikamaru had no idea what she meant, but her words affected Sasuke greatly. The Uchiha flinched like he'd been slapped on the face. He looked bitterly at her as his mouth worked to make words that refused to come out.

The time for talk seemed over as Sasuke's impassive face became icy. The chakra sealed ninja sprung forward swiftly to cover the dozen or so yards between him and his final obstacle.

"He's like Lee without any training weights," Shikamaru thought as the terrible fight began.

The first kick her threw was a powerful whirlwind matched to the style he perfected in training with Lee-san. Sakura hands were free and loose as her arms circled. She stepped towards the side in a circling pattern and as she moved her hand came up with slack fingertips to met the blistering kick. Her control was perfect as she released chakra to block his attack like a stone wall.

Sasuke jumped back a pace as she shifted stance and a slow, pleased smile spread on Sakura's lips. Sasuke gritted his teeth only to spring forward to renew his attack.

Shikamaru observed the strange spectacle in awe. It was like watching Rock Lee and Neji's legacies play themselves out before him. Sasuke without chakra was limited to taijutsu. His was a mix of Lee's spinning leaf and his own graceful Uchiha style. Sakura's speed had improved greatly with her training and she was able to defend against it with her own quick flowing movements along with the hand block of the Hyuga style she had mastered.

"It's a stalemate," thought Shikamaru, "Sakura had no ability to see the inner coils system, so she can't attack like Hinata or Neji and Sasuke's speed keeps her from landing a normal kick or punch."

After a furious series of blow and counters, the combatants brought apart again breathing heavily. It was then that Shikamaru noticed that Sasuke was wincing in pain. "Hitting those chakra blocks must be like punching steel," he realized, "… she can keep this up longer than Sasuke can."

Sakura knew this too and she looked in control. "Give it up, Sasuke," she said with authority.

Sasuke shook his head a little and shot forward again with that frightening speed, his fist flying forward he suddenly switched hands before her block could connect and with other hand reached forward to grasp her by the throat lifting her up.

Shikamaru was sure it over though.Sakura seemed unafraid. She gripped the wrist of the arm that held her and let her other hand drop down. The free hand flickered through a series of seals in a heart beat and then glowed with a purple aura. Sakura slid the hand crossed Sasuke's bicep and he dropped her jumping back with a cry.

"She can perform medical techniques with just one hand," Shikamaru thought incredibly. Sakura had trained under Tsunade for a long time as a medic to work with Naruto. After she came on his team she gave up that role as Hinata filled it. "I knew her skills surpassed Hinata," he thought, "but who knew she was this powerful."

Sakura regained her breath as a triumphant look appeared on her face. "I've just severed a muscle in your arm, Sasuke. Surrender now."

Sasuke ignored her and with his right arm hanging limp he straighten his back against the pain and closed his eyes.

"What's he doing now?" thought Shikamaru. "He can't mold chakra, Sakura has won."

Sasuke was not finished and both Shikamaru and Sakura stared in disbelief as Sasuke's arm pulled itself up again. "Bakana!" Shikamaru whispered in a desire to shout. The rogue ninja's raven black began to rise up a little and his clothing seemed to flutter with a breeze that could not be felt. His black eyes flashed open. "Initial Lotus," he uttered.

Sasuke moved so fast that light see to bend around him. He disappeared and Sakura searched in vain for signs An unseen kick caught her from behind to send her hurtling head first towards one of the massive trees. Sasuke seemed to warp back into existence as he slowed. Sakura threw he arms up to brace herself and as she slammed into trunk a puff of smoke appeared and a log fell to the ground marking her kawaramii.

Shikamaru was relieved, but stunned. "Lee would never have taught him the Lotus Gates, " he thought, which meant only one thing. The guy had figured them out on his own. It was insane to believe, but it had to be true.

"Well, we've known since we were kids he was a genius."

Sasuke looked around at the trees with impatience. "You don't understand, Sakura," he yelled at the trees.

"No!" came a hollow echoing voice, "You're the one who doesn't understand, Sasuke. Surrender! Now!"

"She's cloaking her voice with genjutsu," Shikamaru thought. Sasuke turned to look in Shikamaru's direction was sitting and the chuunin captain saw him flinch in surprise. It took Shikamaru only a moment to figure out why. "Good job Sakura," he silently congratulated her.

She had not only hid her location while speaking, but she must have used an illusion to hide Tenten and him as well.

Sakura had control again and her quarry search vainly in frustration. Shikamaru knew it was just a matter of time now as her genjutsu would keep Sasuke here and them hidden. A moan escaped Tenten as she drifting along in her unconsciousness. Shikamaru would have moaned too at the bad timing of it if he could have used his vocal chords.

The frustrated look dissipated from Sasuke's visage as he smiled once again. "You can't hide everything from me Sakura," he yelled, "Maybe you'll come out if I use one your teammates for target practice." Sasuke whipped a shuriken at the tree Shikamaru was propped up on and could only watch helplessly as the weapon sunk into the wood just inches about his head.

Three different clones of Sakura appeared from behind trees in a triangle around the clearing. "I'm ending this," they said each slipping a hand scroll out of its slot pocket. She whipped it open and dragged her bloody knuckle cross its flowing script. She rolled it shut again and brought it together with her clasping hands. A she performed hands seals in a long repeating sequence, her voice reverberated with power in a chant of seal names. "She's using her bushin to avoid him well," thought Shikamaru, "But this jutsu…it must be the one she perfected at the chuunin exam in Sand Village."

Sasuke looked agitated as Sakura was clearly doing something big. He would need to be fast. His face was a mask of anger as he breathed, "Gate Open!"

"Just how many of the damn gates can this guy use!" marveled Shikamaru in annoyed disbelief.

Sasuke flashed out of existence only to reappear as his kick tore through a bushin, Sakura's echo resonant chanting continuing without interruption beneath the trees.

"One," counted Shikamaru.

He disappeared again and Shikamaru could not even shift his eyes to the other side of the clearing quick enough as smoke marked another bushin destroyed.

"Two, hurry Sakura," urged Shikamaru.

The Uchiha scion appeared at the last Sakura and had a look of triumph as his hand chopped at the back of her neck. It was a look that faded like the smoke as once again the mist marked it as only a bushin. With his final failure to catch her the chanting came to its end.

The real Sakura flew out the treetops above with the scroll held before her landing on with one knee on the ground she slammed the charged item down.

"Hanafubuki no jutsu!" (Flower Petal Blizzard)

Swirling chakra seemed to eminate along the ground from the scroll as Sakura stood up. Sasuke launched himself at her with a warcry, his body still sporting an unnatural speed. Sakura closed her eyes making no attempt to defend as his turning kick sliced at her head. Shikamaru saw Sasuke connect with her form and then watched as if her body melted into thousands of cherry blossoms petals that swirled fiercely around filling the air.

Shikamaru had to squint in the sudden gale.

Sasuke had his arms up to protect himself as the swirling petals tightened around him with tornado like force. An unseen blow seemed to launch him upward as the invisible strikes assailed him. He was powerless to stop the strikes and Shikamaru could here him grunt and cry out under the punishment. The barrage finally ended as the air became still again with Sasuke and the thousands of cherry blossoms returning to the ground, the flowers' poignant flutter an accompaniment to his brutal collapse.

"Who knew Sakura was this powerful," Shikamaru thought awe-struck. He was in Sand Village with the Hokage at Sakura's Chuunin exam, but had missed her bouts in the arena. "This must be the jutsu she beat Kankuro with," he realized, "It is truly an assassination technique."

Sasuke was coughing up blood as he dragged himself back to his feet.

Sakura materialized out of thin air on the other side of the clearing, now a sea of petals. Her gaze fell on him sadly. "Please stop this," she said tightly in a subdued tone.

Sasuke wiped at his mouth and his eyes had a lonely raw look before hardening once again, "Ikuzuo" was all he replied roughly.

Sakura's body swirled away into nothingness as her jutsu renewed. The twister of petals moving swiftly to envelope her adversary once more, as Sasuke tried to fend the unseen blows. His efforts were futile and his outcries of pain were louder than before as he beaten to a pulp in midair.

"Terrible…This is painful to witness." Shikamaru thought. He knew that Sakura cared for Sasuke a great deal. She had worked hard at keeping him in her life even as a friend after he had refused to give her more. Shikamaru remembered how happy Ino was when Sasuke began to talk to Sakura again and later all those reports about his improvement. If this man returned even a small portion of Sakura's feelings, then this had to be hurting him as well. "Ino always said the Sasuke would be the death of Sakura one day," he thought sadly, "For her to be doing this now…I don't know…could I ever hurt Ino like this if I had to?" In that moment Shikamaru would have shivered with revulsion, but the poison had arrested even that simple movement.

Sasuke landed on the ground with a sickening slap again. This time he jumped up immediately and seemed to make a desperate run towards the forest. The whirlwind jutsu moved to intercept him for what Shikamaru was sure would be the final time. Just before the funneling petals reached him Sasuke turned and screamed, "Ura Renge!"

"Bakana!" Shikamaru's lips moved though no sound would come out.

Sasuke was lifted up by once more by Sakura's jutsu but this time he balled his body tightly as it rocked from invisible blows. Unlike before Sasuke seemed prepared for the hits and without warning his fist shot out breaking through the petals surrounding him.

Shikamaru heard a woman's cry and Sakura appeared out of thin air as seemingly defeated nin's strike had found her within the illusion.

A tree trunk ended the kunoichi's flight with bruising impact. From hands and knees Sakura inched up from the forest floor fighting for breath. The cherry blossoms of her jutsu became lifeless and strewn on the ground around them all as she stood slowly.

"Even though the petals and the air pressure hid your attacks, the rendan was the same each time," said Sasuke with a knowing arrogance, "By the third time it was easy to tell where you'd be."

Sakura looked tired, but determined.

"She's used up a lot of chakra in that last attack," Shikamaru thought, "I wonder what she'll do now." The chuunin captain watched the stalemate and then caught on to what Sakura had done. The smallest of smiles appeared on his stiff lips.

"I'm not through yet," Sakura yelled and her hands started to move in seals again.

Sasuke whipped eight kunai out of a weapons' pouch and hurled them in a large flowing fan. His face tightened when he realized she wasn't dodging. The weapons came together with whistling speed. As they impacted a look of shock came over Sasuke, a painted log fell where he thought Sakura had been.

"No," Shikamaru wanted to scream, "not that jutsu!"

Sakura had hidden her presence well. She was situated behind Sasuke and released a technique she was positive would incapacitate him.

"Shintenshin no jutsu!"(Mind-Body Switch)

Sasuke turned to face her as the technique impacted him. Both people fell as the spirit energy completed its arc.

Shikamaru was frantic. "Why did Ino ever agree to try to teach her that," he muttered in a distraught whisper. The Shintenshin technique while not a bloodline technique was extremely difficult for anyone outside the Yamanaka clan to master. Sakura could only get it to work properly only once in every dozen times she tried, very often it failed giving her and who ever she was practicing with an amazing headache. "To try it in a battle little this…" he thought understanding, "she really must not want to kill him."

Shikamaru was pleasantly surprised when his stiff fingers wiggled a little when he urged once more, "Great, the venom is wearing off a little."

Unexpectedly, Sakura's body jerked a little catching the incapacitated chuunin's attention. "Crap," cursed Shikamaru. Sakura convulsed again more violently this time and it was when Shikamaru noticed a strange reddish flush had filled Sasuke's skin. "Is that an aftereffect of the Lotus?"

Shikamaru had to get up and he started to concentrate flexing his hand and crawling it up towards the senbon still lodged in his arm. "Shit!" he thought as Sakura's body seized again, "I can't move fast enough and…"

A presence suddenly appeared besides Shikamaru and while he couldn't look up, but he knew from the ninja's sandals and pants who it was.

"Damn it Shikamaru," Naruto said in annoyance, "Why did you have to be such a smart bastard?"

Choji and Kiba appeared in the clearing as well. Neji materialized a moment later beside Sakura's body. "What do I have to do?" he asked sharply as he cradled Sakura's jerking form in his arms.

Shikamaru tried to scream as the words arrived in the air at a normal volume level. "Kai." he exhaled.

Neji folded his left hand in Sakura's right and invoked the jutsu for breaking illusion.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open briefly to close again as her body became slack and Sasuke awoke curling into a ball amid his pain-filled coughing. Shikamaru would have breathed a sigh of relief if his torso would have let him. It was then he caught the recovering movement of the others. Tenten rose back to her feet shakily and Hinata appeared beside Shikamaru no worse for wear but in as agitated a state as he'd ever seen her.

The former Hyuga heir opened her medicine pouch and took out a pill that she pushed roughly in his mouth. "Swallow," Hinata commanded him rubbing his throat to aid its action. She then laid her hands open his shoulder extracted the needles with a cool efficiency that made him wince. The pill had passed down and Hinata quickly applied healing to the exterior wound. Shikamaru felt the icy shock of chakra healing wash over him and as her brisk ministrations ended the young captain found he could pick himself up again.

As Shikamaru steadied himself Hinata bowed nearly halfway at the waist. "Please forgive me," she asked stiffly, "I was caught foolishly. It should not have happened." Hinata was always very critical of herself, but she was right. If Sasuke had been a foreign enemy the entire team would have perished.

"Don't worry Hinata," Shikamaru assured her stretching his still tingly arms above his head, "He knew our weaknesses…no one was seriously injured."

Shikamaru walked slowly towards Naruto when he noticed that the incendiary sealed scroll he had found was strapped innocuously on Naruto's back. "How?" he thought curiously. It was then Shikamaru decided that it was best to remain a few paces off. "You want to tell me what's going on?" he asked the blonde ninja.

Neji still held his unrequited love like a prize. "Yes, Naruto, I'm sure we'd all like to know what you plan on doing with this escaped criminal," added icily.

Naruto oddly ignored all of them as he helped Sasuke to his feet. "You ok," he asked his former teammate quietly, "I told you she's a lot stronger than she looks."

The raven-haired ninja was still trying to regain composure. "Aah," he coughed in assent leaning on his buckled knees.

Shikamaru cleared his throat to remind Naruto they were all still expecting an explanation.

Naruto turned to him and taking Neji in his glance, put his hands up in surrender. "Now everyone this is not how this was planned. I was going to meet Sasuke nearby, but he was never supposed to be intercepted by Anbu."

As Naruto ended his sentence, Sakura inhaled noisily in Neji's arms. She spoke abruptly as if in a dream, "Sasuke," she mumbled, "… you bastard."

Neji's face sported a large grin at the comment and Sasuke spied the pale ninja's cold look then shifted his eyes downward to the ground awkwardly.

Hinata moved to where Neji stood and put her hands out expectantly. It was an awkward moment for the familial pair as the spurned lover handed off his prize to the concerned friend. Hinata immediately settled her to the ground to assess her condition.

"He is an escaped-nin Naruto," Shikamaru said matter-of-factly, "the Anbu we saw before we gave chase confirmed this."

"We received no orders from the Hokage to aid him," Neji chimed in, "You have no authority to do this on your own."

Shikamaru found it odd that he and Neji were on the same side on in this situation, but he was glad for it. Choji and Kiba also wore concerned looks, as Neji was their captain. If he declared Naruto as a rogue ninja they were duty bound to aid in his capture in addition to Sasuke.

Naruto's eyes became larger as he showed no fear at being out numbered.

"The Hokage does approve of what I'm doing with Sasuke here, "he said in an impatient tone. "She was the one who came up with this idea. We needed to hide this from you as Konoha is about to face a major assault very soon."

"What do you mean, Naruto?" asked Kiba as Akamura seemed to solidify menacingly out of the mist that felt between the thick trees.

"I mean, " continued Naruto now looking into the eyes of all the doubtful faces that surrounded him, "that Tsunade feared spies, like the last time our village was attacked by the Sound and she knew that they would try again very soon."

"What does Sasuke have to do with this?" Shikamaru interjected trying to bring him back to the point of the matter.

Naruto gave Shikamaru a big grin. "I'm sure you figured out by now Shikamaru that Itachi Uchiha is still alive. He also still wants to rip Kyubi from my body and he's given Tsunade an ultimatum that says if I don't deliver this scroll here on my back to him by sundown tomorrow he'll be joining Orochimaru's remaining Sound-nin for an all out attack."

The looks of concern and disbelief appeared on many of the chuunin. This was news to most of them, but the preparations for the attack had already been revealed to Shikamaru the night before.

"Sasuke is going in your place," Shikamaru stated coming to only obvious conclusion, "but how can you possibly trust him?"

"I trust him," came a wavering voice from behind Naruto. Sakura stood unsteadily and taking a few uncertain steps to stand with her old genin team. "If Naruto says this is what the Hokage wants, how can of you stand there an openly call him a liar?"

Shikamaru was dumbfounded. Sakura had just been in a life-or-death struggle with Sasuke and was now supporting Naruto in his crazy move to let him go to after his brother.

They were all surprised when Hinata spoke next. "No one is calling Naruto-kun a liar Sakura, it's just that is all very sudden."

Shikamaru agreed with Hinata and being close to both Naruto and Sakura he was glad she was the one to make that point. "Fine, no one is calling you a liar, can I ask why Sasuke has to go, given his current condition."

Naruto gave Shikamaru a grin that he was never happy to see. It was the one he used only when he was about to do something extremely reckless. "I figured you would have got this all worked out by now smart guy," said Naruto, "When Tsunade had her office blown up, the reason was to deliver a letter telling her that I had to bring the scroll to Itachi…."

"So that's what Kabuto was up to…" interjected Shikamaru, "and the reason Sasuke is going is because he's Orochimaru's target?" He figured that the bait and switch would be what he'd do.

"He's still no match for his brother," Neji warned, knowing first-hand Itachi's strength.

Naruto turned back to his team captain. "Well, I'm about to change that when I unseal him."

Naruto's lighthearted tone was disregarded as kunai were whipped out of holsters. Shikamaru held his blade in a tight fist even with Naruto as did Neji. Tenten, Kiba and Choji were armed as well wearing anxious looks. Sakura, her emerald eyes ablaze interposed herself between Sasuke and Neji and held up her weapon defensively. Seeing her take his side again, against all rationale, made the white-eyed ninja grimace with resentment.

Only Hinata and Naruto remained tranquil as Sasuke slowly straighten from his crouch seeming to have mastered the pain he was in.

Shikamaru felt sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Naruto," he yelled harshly ready to argue his point more.

"Shikamaru," Naruto shouted back cutting him off with a deadly intensity. The blond nin's voice became lower but no less grave as he continued, "We are wasting time here. I'm done explaining myself. If you're not convinced you are always welcome to try and stop me."

Neji's foot inched a hair forward and Sakura tightened her stance. "In your condition, Sakura this is a futile effort," he said to her.

Sakura's mouth seemed to borrow Naruto's reckless grin. "If you move against him I swear I'll never speak to you again."

"If he kills you when he's unsealed then my life will lose all meaning anyway," Neji replied earnestly.

Sakura's face remained resolute though it hinted at tears. "It's my life Neji… my choice."

The world seemed to slow like honey underneath the shadowy preserve of the ancient trees. As Naruto's chakra built a sudden and fey chill passed along their spines even this summer's day. They watched stoically as he prepared his seal release jutsu.

Shikamaru was resolved that he had no power in what was about to happen, in fact, he found it oddly irritating for someone who normally shirked responsibility. All he could do was keep replaying stupid scenarios in his mind about what would happen when he when he got home to see Ino.

"Hi honey," he thought in his mind, "Guess what, I was just forced to kill your best friend to stop her from letting Sasuke escape! What's for dinner?" and "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you! I let Naruto unseal Sasuke so he could rip Sakura's throat out as his curse consumed him." Shikamaru wanted to scream in frustration as he like everyone else left their fate up to Naruto.

Sasuke had been mute throughout the heated exchange and now as the object of all this strife he appeared almost peaceful as he stripped off his shirt to reveal his curse. Almost everyone's eyes gravitated to it. The thick ugly swirl Tsunade had placed on it was visible as was the smaller more delicate first seal that Hatake Kakashi had place around the curse mark so long ago. It seemed so innocent, almost like a bad tattoo. Hinata kept her gaze fixed on Naruto and it was filled with a trusting, steady love. Meanwhile Sakura kept her back to her old genin team knowing that when Naruto went to perform the release both men would be vulnerable to attack.

Naruto's right hand glowed brightly as his technique was ready; he had no hesitation.

"Gogagoukaiin!" (Five Element Release Seal).

The taller ninja's hand slapped down on the neck of the slight, dark young man who stood before him stiff and erect. It was over so quickly it was almost like it didn't happen. A swirl of wind like a sigh moved through the group as Naruto took his hand away revealing the disappearance of the black ring.

"Well that wasn't so bad," Shikamaru was about to say when suddenly his stomach clutched. He was thirteen years old again hidden in the bushes with his team as that same horrific power unfolded. Like nails cross a blackboard in his mind he watched the bright red seal escaped its confines and snake over Sasuke's skin. The Uchiha lifted his face to watch them all with black spokes spinning wildly set in blood red pools. The pressure was terrible, exactly like Naruto when he was enraged, that same terrifying demonic presence.

Shikamaru's mind groped madly for what could be done to stop this before…and it stopped.

The vicious crimson seal faded back to its small dull black mark and Sasuke smiled slowly looking with clear ebony eyes at his eternal rival and only constant friend. "Haven't had to do that in a while," he said as he picked up his shirt to put it back on.

Naruto yawned inappropriately and replied, "Well, at least you didn't forget how…You ready?"

Sasuke fished his head through his cowl. "Do I have a choice?"

"Well, you could always try and kill me again!" Naruto said with laugh

"Yeah, there's that," Sasuke said deadpan. The renewed nin took a few steps towards the forest.

"Wait, you forgot this." Naruto told him, unstrapping the summoning scroll he had slung on his back this entire time. As he tossed it over in the air towards Sasuke Shikamaru noticed the familiar red glow reappear. "Naruto must figured out a way to suppress the incendiary effect," he surmised.

Alas, Shikamaru was more than a little disappointed when the smirking bastard didn't turn into toast and the flickering aura winked out again as Sasuke snatched it and turned to leave.

Sakura stumbled a little from her exhaustion as she moved towards him causing Sasuke to pause with his back to her.

"You can't..." he began.

"I know," said Sakura in a calm understanding voice.

Sasuke's head shifted a little as he seemed to want to turn but knew he shouldn't.

"Choji!" Sakura said calling to the robust chuunin who operated as medical-nin for his own team. "Please give him one of your new food pills, the ones that heals most muscle tissue damage in a day."

To give the rotund, powerful ninja credit he did not hesitate to follow orders from the frail-looking kunoichi. He immediately tossed a red and blue capsule along with a bottle of water to Sasuke who caught it to examine it curiously.

"Take it now and be sure to drink lots of water," Choji told him, "In a day you'll be recovered from the beating Sakura just dished out."

Sasuke nodded and smiled a little at Choji assessment of the situation. He popped the pill and took a long swallow from the bamboo flask.

Silence returned under the trees.

"Come back." Sakura told him still sounding calm as quiet tears ran slowly down her face.

Sasuke remained set in his direction as he gave her his cryptic parting words as he disappeared from the glen.

"Arigatoo."

Shikamaru watch the scene end with these three people who were many felt were destined to become the next legendary three and as her did so he idly wondered if anyone else there shared his deep and heartfelt sentiment as he commented to himself , "They are all freakin' nuts."

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: I'm happy I wrote this. I sort of needed it to manage a certain rage I felt after chapter 181. The goal here while obviously to have a SasuSaku showdown was also to contrast Shikamaru and Ino with Sasuke and Sakura. Both couples perceive they are in love but their actions, motives, intentions etc. are, IMHO, startlingly different!

And yeah purists on how Lee's lotus works can call me on it, whatever, don't read this far into my story to now finally nitpick about.


	23. Skin

A/N: I'm so glad everyone liked the way I portrayed Team 7. I was worried the action would overshadow their bond/chemistry! As for those who review I will answer all your questions in the next two or three chapters. To answer one question right up front. I am not planning to make Sasuke a punk or a villain (not any more than he already is!) Speaking of a villain that's what this chapter is all about!

Yes, Setsuko Arashi is a original character I made up for this fic! There is actually an interesting backstory to her and Naruto in the Hidden Cloud Village, that I'll probably never get to write ;) In fact, if I ever develop an ability to write quickly there are two back stories, the Setsuko/Naruto one and one in Sand Village where Sakura/Choji/Hinata take the Chuunin Exam plus Shikamaru and Temari have their little "thing" happen. Oh well, we'll see.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 23 – Skin

The forest was exceptionally quiet. The air rasped softly like a snake's skin over the deep green sea. The breeze lulled the senses matching azure calm of an almost cloudless sky visible through dappled leaves.

"_How appropriate," _Kabuto observed,_ "a calm before the storm."_

The sound-nin pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose by a fraction. It was the first movement he had allowed himself since the sun had passed higher than the treetops to the east. Being this close to Fire Country Kabuto had no choice but to conceal his presence. It was not that he feared confrontation…more that encountering an Anbu team right now would be… bothersome.

"_The idiotic Leafs are always so complacent," _he thought smugly._ "It's that same arrogance that is going to be their destruction very soon."_

Kabuto detected someone rapidly approaching his position. Immediately he set to deepen his cover. The heartbeat slowed, breath ceased, even body temperature was made to cool. Jutsu were not always necessary to conceal oneself Kabuto had found and the medical genius prided himself on a precise control of his metabolism.

A loud crackle echoed through the copse of trees as Uzumaki Naruto crashed into view vaulting off a branch but scant feet from the leafy preserve that was Kabuto's screen. The blond nin was making enough noise for a troop of genin as he flew off in a great leap heading towards the western edge of Fire Country.

Kabuto smiled as his mission to ensure the delivery of the Ninetails to Itachi was was nearly completed._ "You are always so predictable Naruto-kun," _he thought._ "Your demonic strength and stupid overconfidence won't be enough this time."_

Kabuto stood slowly letting the stiffness fade from his atrophied limbs. He then noticed a new presence, but this he had also expected. Landing on the branch farther along from Kabuto was a wiry little man whose bloodshot eyes and spastic manner gave him both a nervous and dislikeable appearance. The man's ninja gear seemed worn out and secondhand not from overuse but lack of care. Even the leaf forehead protector he wore tilted to the side had a grimy, unkempt look to it.

"Kabuto-san," he said waiting to be acknowledged.

"You weren't followed right Nezu?" Kabuto inquired as he looked past the man to scan the trees towards Konoha.

The fidgeting nin looked behind himself multiple times as he answered. "No, no, Kabuto-san," answered Nezu stuttering, "I was very careful."

Kabuto could not help shut his eyes to rid the toady little man from his line of vision. Nezumichi Ichou was a middle-aged genin for the Leaf and would likely remain a low-level nin for his entire life. Nezu had taken the chuunin exam more times that even Kabuto and like him had failed it consistently. However, while Kabuto's failures were to keep his talents undiscovered, Nezumichi's were due to simple incompetence. The man was repulsive in a general, very pathetic way. Most of the villagers who found themselves looking in his direction quickly decided to look some where else, but it was this, as Orochimaru-sama had said, made him an ideal spy.

"What of the Godaime," Kabuto asked turning back to him. The sun glinting off the rims of his wire frame glasses as if to emphasize his impatience for a response.

Nezumichi plucked at his jacket sleeves in another of his peculiar and annoying nervous habits. "She left the village for the meeting with the Raikage first thing this morning," he explained, "… on the Hokusei highway. She had a full honor guard, forty jounin and sixty chuunin plus many genin." Nezu cracked a smile as he knew his news would please Kabuto, "Shizune, Genma, Aoba... Asuma and Kurenai... they were all there in the guard."

"And Kakashi?" Kabuto broke in sharply.

Nezu's smile faded as he was unsure how his report would be received. "I heard he's still in the village, but the Hokage has him under wraps… I hear with the torture and interrogation squad too… which well, you know... mighty peculiar." He drywashed his hands briefly as he waited for reaction from the frigid glare he was receiving.

The jounin level nin let his teeth show. "Perfect," he said with a sinister looking smile.

Kabuto had long wanted to take down that self-righteous bastard Kakashi and now he would not be disappointed. He began to imagine the look on Kakashi's face when he found Sasuke's body possessed by Orochimaru and Naruto turned into a vegetable by Itachi. A shiver of anticipation passed through him as he conjured the scene in his mind.

"_I'll have to slit Sakura's throat in front of him for the full effect,"_ he thought delightedly.

Nezu mirrored the grin he saw. Having to leave the village to report to Kabuto was always troubling, but Orochimaru had promised him power and immortality if he aided him in the destruction of Konoha. Nezumichi saw it as a village full of people who looked down on him and despised him. People who deserved what they got.

Kabuto's face became serious suddenly causing Nezu to look around wildly for danger. The frail ninja almost fell out of the tree when he felt the taller man lay a hand gently on his shoulder. He remained perfectly still as Kabuto leaned near his ear.

"You've done an excellent job, Nezumichi," Kabuto whispered.

The phobic nin was unused to praise and felt his face grow flush. "Anything for you and Orochimaru-sama, Kabuto-san," he replied beaming at Kabuto who stepped away from him to look northward into the forest.

Nezu was amazed how relieved and happy he felt. _"Things are going to be different from now on,"_ he told himself silently._ "No more name calling, disappointed senseis or failed missions. I'll finally be respected in the new village Orochimaru-sama will build."_ The man suddenly realized he couldn't calm down and began to feel lightheaded. The sunshine came unevenly through trees and brought pain to his growingly sensitive eyes.

"Kabuto-san," he said groggily, "I don't feel so good."

The other nin didn't bother turning around. "It appears that you were followed Nezumichi," Kabuto informed him. "Fortunately your death will look like a complete accident… perhaps they'll even bother to give you a hero's funeral."

Nezu could barely hear what was said to him as the hammer of pulsating blood rang through his ears. He rubbed a hand over his face to wake from his disorientation when he noticed a strange wetness. His palm painted in a garish crimson was the last thing he saw as blood wept freely from his unfocusing eyes.

After a brief gurgling sound and soft thud from the ground below Kabuto turned back to notice pleasantly that he was once again the branch's only occupant.

Out of thin air another ninja took the spot where Nezu had been only a moment before. This time it was a pale and delicate looking woman almost albino in appearance with platinum straight hair framing her impassive doll-like face.

"Oh, it's you," said Kabuto peevishly. Itachi had been kind enough to lend Orochimaru the support of some of his companions, yet Setsuko Arashi was not Kabuto's idea of a friendly face.

The girl peered down curiously at the body below. It almost appeared as if she were inspecting fly that had just been smashed on her windowsill. "Was it necessary to kill him?" she asked still looking down.

Kabuto became annoyed that someone forced to flee her village after a series of gruesome, psychopathic murders was now questioning why he killed someone.

"He outlived his usefulness and Orochimaru doesn't retain useless people," he replied.

Setsuko crooked her head slightly as she looked up at him with her wide lavender eyes. "You must keep you talents well hidden Kabuto-san."

The man grimaced darkly, but then forced what he was about to say out of his mind. Anyone who could defeat Uzumaki Naruto was not to be taken lightly._ "Later you little freak,"_ he cursed silently, _"when Orochimaru-sama has his new body you'll learn your place."_

The escaped kunoichi of Hidden Cloud Village brought her head back upright with the sharpest of movements. She didn't seem to relish in her taunt and continued, "I didn't see him. Did he pass through here?"

"You were told not to interfere," Kabuto replied.

Setsuko blinked once slowly. "I know how to follow orders Kabuto-san."

He locked stares with her for a moment until he realized the gesture was wasted. She looked at people that way all the time. "He passed by me about twenty minutes ago," Kabuto told her as he sprung away into the trees not bothering to wait for her.

Setsuko didn't seem to take offense as she joined him easily matching his pace. "Are you certain he's going to meet Itachi-san?"

"Without a doubt," he replied. "Once you've met Uzumaki Naruto you never mistake him for someone else."

Setsuko felt this man was an utter fool and began instead to study his back wondering when it would be best to place a kunai there. She prided herself on being a very patience girl and she knew that as long as she behaved Itachi would indulge her need to play later.

The two rogue ninja left the clearing as a man wearing Naruto's facade watched them depart silently with swirling red eyes.

In a puff of smoke a slighter built young man with midnight colored hair and an unsociable look to his face remained as he shifted the large summoning scroll strapped to his back. The only constant to his appearance being those crimson, spinning eyes.

"_Nice to know you are still a fool Kabuto,_" Sasuke mused. During his years with Orochimaru, Sasuke had learned the man to be a pompous ass trying to treat him like a subordinate younger brother. Sasuke had never put up with it because he knew in Orchimaru's eyes he was stronger than Kabuto and to the sennin that was all that mattered. Kabuto knew that as well, of course, always failing to hide his jealousy.

"_Kabuto, I hope one day you get your silly death wish to face Kakashi,"_ thought Sasuke. His former sensei might not be his favorite person at the moment, but Sasuke had never doubted who would triumph in that contest.

Sasuke's index finger crept up to the bridge of his nose in a reflex he had adopted during his captivity. It was a pointless gesture without glasses. The eyewear had been destroyed in his little misunderstanding with Sakura, yet he noticed now he didn't need them. It all made sense of course._ "When Tsunade's seal stopped my sharingan,"_ he realized, _"it also inhibited my regular vision."_ Despite being whole and strong again, Sasuke was oddly a little sad. He sort of missed the affectation.

The reborn nin continued on his journey through the trees and was relieved that he no longer had to make so much noise as he moved. Naruto's body and mannerisms were an annoying second skin to wear for any length of time. _"Besides,"_ he mused, _"Naruto has no problem hiding his presence when he has too."_ Sasuke had watched many people like Kabuto underestimate his former teammate to there demise. Hell, for a long time he had been one of them.

He vividly recalled their conversation from two days before. Naruto's revelation had been like being doused in ice water and then finding your clothes perfectly dry. The sun had been high and warm in the sky then just like today, glistening on the grass of the practice field where he and Ino had just finished up with drills so the kids could start lunch.

"Nice to see you brush up on the basics," Naruto said, starting the conversation in his awkward challengingly way.

"Better to be a perfectionist than a hack-job," Sasuke shot back tilting his glasses up his nose. "Did you need something?" he asked getting straight to the point.

Naruto wore a rare, sobering face. It was a look neither of them was comfortable dealing with. "I think there's something you should know," he replied. Naruto paused as he looked up from the ground to stare hard straight into Sasuke's eyes.

"_What could he possibly be talking about?" _Sasuke wondered. He and Naruto hadn't talked for a long time and honestly Sasuke didn't really think much of it. He knew Naruto had been against what was done to him, but it wasn't like he needed a shoulder to cry on either.

Naruto scrubbed a hand through his already disheveled looking hair and put his other hand up in an almost pleadingly way. "Listen you're going to get really pissed and I need to you remain calm."

"What? Did you tell Iruka my favorite food was fermented natto beans?" Sasuke joked sarcastically. He really couldn't imagine what Naruto was about to say. It was then Sasuke noticed that Naruto's chakra level had increased._ "It's like he getting ready to fight me,"_ he thought incredulously.

Naruto's voice took a softer tone as than normal as he delivered what he had to say bluntly

"Tsunade failed to kill Itachi three years ago and now your brother is threatening to destroy the village with Orochimaru."

Sasuke didn't let thought impede him as he reacted. He took a step back and prepared to leap away in the air as Naruto stepped beside him placing a strong hand on his shoulder keeping him grounded. Sasuke's left hand had found a kunai and in an instant was flying up at his opponent's chest. Naruto deftly caught his weapon hand arresting the motion. Sasuke's right leg twitched with the desire to kick, but Naruto had seemed to anticipate that with a foot planted firmly a top his. Using his chakra-enhanced strength Naruto forced Sasuke's kunai clenched fist upward to rest lightly on his captive's throat.

"Are you done now?" Naruto asked tightly.

Sasuke was almost spitting. "Let go!"

Naruto leaned in giving the appearance to anyone in the nearby schoolhouse of a friendly pat on the back. "Listen up," he said, "You're a fool to believe you would survive five minutes once the Anbu started tracking you... Like this you are no match for Itachi."

Sasuke was almost shaking, but he remained silent as Naruto continued.

"Tsunade believes that Orochimaru's target is you while your favorite sibling is still out to extract Kyuubi from my body," Naruto explained. "Now she is willing to give you a chance at blowing away your brother and hopes that by switching our opponents we'll come out on top."

Sasuke heard what Naruto was saying as his bloodlust to kill his brother rose throbbing in his veins, but he refused to believe any of this was in his best interests. "I see," he spat, "She saves her golden boy and gets the pleasure of one less Uchiha in the world."

Naruto grinned evilly. "Well, yeah. 'Cept you get unsealed and plus she's going to give you a little present that should even things up nicely." With that, the tall blond nin released his captive who stumbled backwards from him. Sasuke steadied himself and then decided grudgingly to hear more of Tsunade's scheme.

"Yeah and I decided to have faith in the biggest idiot I've ever known," Sasuke murmured as kept to the course he was told to take to meet his brother by tomorrow morning.

Sasuke's thoughts of Naruto brought his mind around to his other partner on old team seven. Picturing her face in his mind caused a tremor past through him than ended in a sigh. She had fought him so fiercely. At first he thought she was trying to kill him and later as he lay there in defeat he witnessed the pain her last jutsu had put her through, seeming to hurt her more than him. He had known then Sakura had held back, it was an idea both saddening and infuriating to him at the same time.

Sakura was the hole in his heart. A weakness he always despised; a warmth he always desired. Sasuke had wanted to love her, thought he was beginning, but then the object of his hate was revealed alive… alive! Mocking him from the shadows for his blind stupidity. Only he could kill his brother, he understood that now and the final battle he approached now was the reality of his failed existence while Sakura merely some idyllic dream.

Letting go the wanderings of his mind Sasuke decided now was as good a time as any to look at Tsunade's little 'present'.

Landing beside a small stream Sasuke place the scroll down on a flat boulder at the water's edge, then squatted down to refill his bamboo canteen. Choji's medicine had been more than effects at healing the injuries from his lotus and the damage Sakura had inflicted. "Even my torn bicep feels healed," he thought amazed. Choji's prescription to drink lots of water was right on target as well. Sasuke felt like he could gulp down the entire stream.

A strange sizzling sound came from behind him and the nin looked back quickly with Sharingan blazing. He got up and went back over to the summoning scroll. A strange red aura lit it's surface and near one edge he saw something truly peculiar. The bit of water that been on the rock when he placed it down was almost all boiled away.

Sasuke reached for it cautiously and noticed that the crimson light extinguish. "This must have been what Naruto was talking about," he realized. Unrolled the scroll and in it he found calligraphic signatures written vertically each ending in a palm print. He read carefully the last name next to the open space where he would place his and stared in wonder. "Tessen Uchiha?" he read aloud. The names before it were unrecognizable to him, but that last one was clearly a member of his clan. Naruto had said this scroll was buried before Fire Country even existed.

"I wonder who he was," Sasuke thought.

The nin knew he couldn't waste too much time. He bit down hard on his thumb drawing blood at the tip and carefully signed his name down the next column. Sasuke spread the red over his other fingers and pressed down firmly to finish the contract.

He felt a slight tingle as a symbol of three wavy lines made a broken triangle surfaced as a tattoo then fade to nothing on the skin above the wrist of his signing hand.

Sasuke wrapped up the scroll quickly and slung it back up on his shoulder. Naruto had already told him the hand seals required and had given a last bit of advice. "Don't use it until your need is great," he said.

"I don't think I'll ever have a greater need in my life," Sasuke thought to himself as his patented smirk crept onto his lips.

"Hope it's not something stupid like a toad."

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: I'm sorry if I overuse flashbacks, but I find it they are an excellent device for showing a character's motivations for 'why' they do what they do in a story.

(FYI, for those who know, I finally corrected the massive plot error in Chapter 4.)

Other housekeeping…There will be more Naruto/Hinata goodness and Naruto kicking ass, a very nice Ino chapter (I love her the way her character turned out here), a positive Neji chapter (poor boy I've really given him a bad turn), tons o' Shikamaru goodness, wars, wedding plans… and I oddly enough still believe I will resolve all my plotlines gracefully )


	24. Closer

A/N: Fun chapter, hard to write actually. Enjoy!

Oh yeah, I mentioned Raido here who is a Jounin in the anime/manga with a small role (has a scar on his face.)

Japanese Fun: 'Ohisashiburi' A little formal, but basically means "long time, no see"; 'Chotto' literary meaning "a little", Japanese use it as a polite interruption, like "wait a second"; 'Betsuni' means "Oh, nothing"

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 24 – Closer

The stifling tension left the group as Uchiha Sasuke, the person responsible for their standoff, exited the scene. In the afterglow of relief, they looked around at other almost unsure of what to do next. Kiba was the first to break the silence as he plopped down on to a nearby tree root. "Tch...I'm stiff all over from that one," the feral looking nin bellowed. "Now Naruto, you want to tell us what this is all about." Akamaru padded over to lay against Kiba's leg and his canine gaze fixed icily on the tall blond ninja whom his master addressed.

The rest of the group fell at ease as well. The sound of metal sliding against leather and cloth echoed in the clearing as kunai and shuriken were returned unspent to pouches and holsters. The leaf nins spread themselves out loosely and a space formed around Naruto. They all expected an answer to Kiba's question and more. Hinata gave her boyfriend's hand a brief squeeze before moving to stand beside Tenten. Sakura who had been Naruto's backup in the release of Sasuke moved over with Hinata. Neji seemed dazed as he watched Sakura put distance between them. He grimaced for the moment before moving off to the opposite side. Choji was the last to settle himself as sat near Kiba and he popped open a fresh bag of chips.

Naruto gave Shikamaru a knowing glance, which the shadow copy specialist read immediately. He replied with one of his own.

"_You think we're in this together Naruto,"_ he thought as he stared at him with stony eyes, _"but the entire mess we just had to go through was because you got too complicated and tried to keep everyone in the dark until the last moment."_

Naruto caught the look Shikamaru was giving him and his shoulders dropped. With a sigh, he realized he was on his own here.

Naruto scanned the familiar faces before him. These were friends, loved ones and teammates, people whom he had shared tight spots and companions who had saved his skin countless times. In front of such an audience Tsunade's dire warnings of utmost secrecy fell to a tiny buzz in the back of his skull

"Maa, maa," he began with a big grin, "it's not as bad as you think it is. The Hokage received a message from Orochimaru saying that he wanted Sasuke and that big flaming scroll delivered to him or else he would destroy the village."

"How is this not bad, Naruto," Tenten asked dryly with a raised eyebrow. A couple of the others nodded in agreement.

"You see," Naruto started to say, "It all started with Tsunade finding out that Uchiha Itachi was not actually dead..."

"That's not this issue here," Neji interjected, "Whether or Tsunade-sama failed in her mission to kill Itachi is irrelevant. We just let that psycho's criminal younger brother walk out of Konoha…"

"Neji! Sasuke's not a criminal." Sakura cut in. "Naruto just said this was part of the Hokage's plan..."

"And what was he before!" Neji shouted back, "An escaped nin whose selfish behavior almost cost the lives of every person here." It was Neji's turn to look around at the others and each one looked back with grim nods at the truth.

"A man," Neji said gravely, "who is marked as the next host for Orochimaru to possess… and make him grow stronger."

Shikamaru saw Naruto getting angry. _"I agree with you Neji,"_ he thought, _"But we left this up to Naruto remember."_

"Now whose off topic Neji," Shikamaru said loudly cutting him off while stifling a yawn. "We were talking about the tomorrow's attack not how Tsunade faked Sasuke's escape."

Choji and Kiba looked at each other in confusion and a bewildered look flitted through the glade.

"Naruto-kun" Hinata said, almost startling herself that she was the one speaking, "when our team was headed to the North Gate we ran in Anbu who were pursuing Sasuke."

Naruto's grin reappeared as he saw that Shikamaru had already figured it out. "Those Anbu are being led by Namiashi Raido. He was only other person Tsunade included in this mission and she told him to make it look real. In fact, I bet they are already returning to the village now with Sasuke's fill-in."

"Fill-in?" exclaimed Kiba.

"Someone is using henge no jutsu to pretend to be Sasuke," said Sakura as a smile of appreciation at the ingenuity came to her lips. "Who is it Naruto?" she asked crossing her arms; her mind was already firing away at all the possibilities. "It would need to be someone strong, young, able to hold the jutsu for an incredibly long time... and was outside of the village before Sasuke escaped."

Shikamaru decided to be over his irritation at Naruto as he joined him in the center of the group.

"Listen, I'm sure that Naruto can't reveal that information even if he knows, "Shikamaru said, receiving a small hurt look from Naruto as he stole the limelight, "but more importantly we all need to be prepared for tomorrow. Naruto delivered to me a message from the Hokage stating that with the most of the senior ninja on the trip to Lightning Country the job of coordinating the defense of Konoha would fall on our shoulders. "

Exclamations of disbelief erupted from the clearing. Shikamaru let their cries od protest roll over him as he shoved his hands into his pockets and then removed them quickly. It was a annoying habit of his from childhood, something he did when he was about to say something emotional or embarrassing.

"You are all great ninja," he stated plainly looking at each of them. "You are all Konoha chuunin and have each proven yourself capable of leading the teams and finishing missions. More importantly, you all have what it takes to defend the village. The Hokage believes in us and I believe in us." Shikamaru paused as he caught his breath a little, speaking like this made his blood rush. _"How troublesome,"_ he thought.

They all stood a little straighter, a few clenching fists as Shikamaru's message struck a cord.

"When the alarms start sounding tomorrow we will organize our battle plan and launch our counterstrike. We'll fight until we end Orochimaru's threat to the village... once and for all."

"Y-Yeah!" barked Choji as Shikamaru finished. His eyes were blazing as his yell shook his entire body showering a displeased looking Akamaru with potato chip crumbs.

Everyone turned in shock towards the massive ninja, who at nineteen years old towered over them all, even Kiba. With them all staring at him intensely, a pinkish color flooded Choji from the neck up. Raising his index finger in the air the large man twirled it daintily. "Woo," he cheered in a more subdued tone.

Laughter exploded from the group. They laughed so hard tears came. Naruto guffawed hanging on Shikamaru's shoulder and as he recovered, he said softly, "Thanks."

"No problem," replied Shikamaru as he wiped moisture from his eye with a last chuckle.

The mirth ended their little summit and the group walked slowly back home. Without anyone really in charge they strolled along taking their time. They were in pairs of two or three that broke and reformed at whim. As teenage soldiers, they rarely had such freedom from their duties. Today, the forest was cool and pleasant and no one wished tomorrow to come any faster.

Sakura dropped back from Naruto to walk with Choji. "Ohisashiburi, Choji. Do you still regret your choice to become a medical ninja?" Sakura, Hinata and Choji had been a hastily made team for their trip to Hidden Sand Village for their Chuunin exam. In that time Tsunade had trained each of them a medical ninja.

"Ohisashiburi, Sakura," Choji greeted her. "I don't at all. I'm very happy with what I do for my team."

Sakura, who came up only to his chest, patted him on the arm. She always was happy to see another person excel in medical techniques. She seemed to view every medical ninja in Konoha as her personal charge. A endearing and sometimes annoying habit she learned from Tsunade.

"Where have you been hiding all this time?" she asked him, "I've seen everyone else on your team around the village, but you."

Choji's eye shot upward as he fumbled for an answer.

"Ask him about Matsuri Sanada," came a loud whisper. The voice came from Tenten who peeked mischievously at Sakura from the other size of Choji. The refrigerator-sized ninja looked at the petite kunoichi in horror.

"How did you...?" Choji sputtered.

Tenten stuck her tongue out at him and giggled as she skipped off to talk with some of the others. Choji turned back to Sakura who was now peering up at him curiously. "Hmmm… Matsuri Sanada" she said, "That's Matsuri Tsuna's older sister. She runs a hair salon near TenTen's house." Sakura saw some the pink reappearing in Choji's cheeks.

"Oh, someone's got a girlfriend!" she squealed hugging his arm.

"Chotto, Sakura," poor Choji exclaimed as he appeared ready to pass out.

Hinata found herself walking with Kiba and Akamaru in a familiar and yet oddly reminiscent silence. "How are you Akamaru?" she said as she decided it was easier to start with the beast than master. She scratched him behind the ears in his favorite spot. The soft-spoken girl was rewarded for her good memory with a whine of pleasure.

"We are both fine," Kiba said wryly, responding for his dog. Hinata felt the need to repress a smile as she took the hint that Kiba felt ignored. "You still need to be the center of attention, Kiba-kun," she thought wistfully.

"I glad you're doing well," she said politely. "I've heard a lot about how successful your team has been. You must be very happy."

Kiba puts his arms behind his head, giving her a toothy grin. "Yeah, that's cause I'm the strongest guy on the team, which you know helps when all the other guys slack off."

"You don't say," Hinata replied trying not to laugh. It was just like old times. Hinata almost expected Shino to walk out of the bushes with his bug collection box to make some dry remark about Kiba's bragging.

"I still think Akamaru pulls your weight Kiba... and he still can't talk "

Hinata felt Naruto's presence just to her other side and looked up to seem him grinning roguishly. Naruto always got jealous when he saw other guys talk to her, particularly Kiba. Hinata knew she should scold him, but as she felt his arm wrap around to her shoulder a surge of delight passed through her. The fair-minded kunoichi decided it was enough to keep focused on her conversation with Kiba as she leaned just ever so slightly into Naruto's chest.

Kiba wasn't pleased with Naruto nosing into his conversation. He now sported an expression that matched Naruto. "Don't listen to him Hinata," he said. "Akamaru knows lots of words. Akamaru, how do you say Naruto's name?"

Akamaru tilted his head up to look at the three nins and in two clear syllables he barked, "Baka!"

"Oh!" Hinata said with surprise as she started to laugh putting a hand over her mouth.

Naruto's left eye began to twitch. "Hinata…" he said wounded.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun," she apologized.

Kiba was holding his sides as he tried to hold in a belly laugh. "Hey Akamaru, tell Hinata the other ways to say Naruto's name!"

"Oi!" yelled Naruto as Hinata protested, "Kiba-kun!"

In front of the others Neji and Shikamaru walk in comparative silence, a state which seemed to suit both just fine. Neji's solitude was forcibly ended however as he felt a feminine hand tucking something lightly behind his ear. Tenten popped beside him appraisingly her handiwork. "Hi!" she greeted him brightly. "I think you look prettier now."

Neji carefully touched what she had hung on him and realized it was flower. The flat line of his serious mouth curved upward. "I've never worried I was ugly," he told her letting his smile grow.

Tenten's eyes lit up. _"When we were younger Neji,"_ she mused silently, _"I used to work so hard to get that smile."_ It was funny. She had known since she was twelve she would end marrying a guy on her genin team. Of course, if you asked that younger version of her which it would be, the answer would have never been Rock Lee. Tenten was in love with Lee now and was amazed how deeply he loved her in return. As she watched the drama between Sakura and Neji unfold she found she couldn't help how she reacted. It wasn't jealous so much, as she just want to protect him. Tenten had watched Lee fail to win Sakura's heart years ago and at present she didn't believe Neji would fare any better.

"_You're a big boy now Neji,"_ Tenten thought, _"I just don't want to see you get hurt anymore."_

"Tenten are listening?" he asked, "Can I take this off now?"

"Ah? Yeah!" Tenten half-shouted coming back to reality. "I mean no! You wear white, you don't tan, and with those pale eyes you need some color!"

Neji plucked the stem from his ear and twirled it gently in his fingers. It turned out to be a spray of buttercups. "Yellow's not my color," he told her, "Maybe you should try this on Nara." Gesturing over to the guy who walked parallel with them a good five steps away.

"Oi!" Shikamaru said them, "I didn't ask to part of your conversation."

"Stopping being such an oji-san Shikamaru," Tenten shot back folding hands on hips. "Don't worry, Neji. I have his girlfriend working to change his lack of taste in clothing."

"Oh? I never knew you were so obedient, Shikamaru," Neji said.

"Tenten lives in a fantasy world," said stilling look up at the sky.

"Ok, then," she said lifting her chin. "When was the last time Ino said she liked what you were wearing?"

Shikamaru finally turned to look at them. "I don't know!" he grumbled. "I don't keep track of that!"

Tenten shook her head sadly, "You see there's the problem."

Shikamaru came as close to pouting as Tenten had ever seen him. "She told me I look good in my flak jacket. "

"And how old were you?" Tenten asked patiently.

"Fourteen," he said quickly.

Tenten voice became saccharine. "And how old are you now?" she asked.

Shikamaru paused slightly dumbfounded, until it hit him where she was going. "Shut up!" he yelled.

Now it was Neji's turn to shake his head. "I guess you have your work cut out for you, Tenten," he said.

"I know," she sighed, "It's sad really, but since you two are obsessed, anti-social geniuses it's no wonder you've ended up this way."

Both men became mirrors of stony expressions.

You know Neji," said Shikarmaru, "I was really enjoying the conversation we were having before Tenten butted in."

"I quite agree," he replied.

Tenten watched them in surprise as the quickened their pace to distance themselves from her.

"Hey!" he shouted at their half-fleeing figures, "You didn't have a conversation! You two were just ignoring everybody!"

The group wandered through the Forest Gate back into Konoha as the long shadows of the afternoon painted the landscape. They had wasted most of the day on the way back slowing their pace trying to forget for a little while what tomorrow would bring.

Tenten and Kiba said their goodbyes first as their houses were nearby while the rest trooped back towards the center of town. The two were almost neighbors, but had never spoken much to each other even growing up. Akamaru barked and nudged at Kiba home to hurry home as it was past his supper time. They chuckled as they heard Kiba yelling from a street away, "Layoff, Akamaru! You act like I starve you!"

Choji was the next person to peel away from the pack. "See you tomorrow mina," he said, turning to his best friend, "Don't worry Shikamaru tomorrow we'll show them."

"You said it, Choji!" Shikamaru said grinning. The mountain-sized nin strolled off down the street as they all turned to continue heading home. Sakura had stayed at the intersection and was staring down the street where Choji left them. Naruto turned back. "Sakura what are you doing?" he asked. The pink haired kunoichi ignored him and after a bit came hopping back to them. She was giggling as caught up to them.

Naruto shook his at her peculiar behavior while Hinata moved over to her "Daijobu?" she whispered. Sakura leaned in to whisper back, "Choji turned back towards where Tenten lives…Matsuri Sanada!" Both girls shared a smile. They had come to learn a lot about Choji when they became chuunin together. He was a kind person with a heart as big as he was. He truly deserved all the happiness in the world.

As the group continued along in a smaller pack it became more and more obvious to Shikamaru that Neji and Sakura were avoiding each other. The fact they had even got this far without an argument was a minor miracle as he could see it. He crossed fingers hoping the truce would hold just when it began to deteriorate.

"Well, this is where I turn," Sakura said to them. She was smiling politely to them all and avoiding Neji's scowl at the same time. She turn to go home and after a few paces to turn back.

"Aren't you going home too, Neji?" she asked, knowing that he had to turn down that same street too.

Neji wore an icy expression. "I do. I'm waiting for you to go a little farther and then I'll go. I don't want to force myself on you."

Shikamaru was surprised how hurt Sakura looked from the comment. Neji was just being Neji from what he could see. The guy was angry at her. _"Of course, Sakura just watched Sasuke go of to his almost certain death, so she's been bottling it up too."_

Sakura's eyes became watery, but hardened. "You don't have to be mean."

"You're right," he stated smartly. "I also don't have to watch you make mistakes."

Naruto hissed under his breath as he saw the effect of Neji's comment on his old teammate. Sakura was motionless like carved stone as Neji passed her heading off down the street home. Shikamaru suddenly felt really bad. _"I sort of agree with Neji,"_ he thought,_ "Sakura's in love with a lunatic, but then, she isn't the most stable girl. Geez, whatever, why does that guy need to be right all the time?"_

Naruto seemed to share the other man's sentiment as he asked Hinata too low for Sakura to hear, "Why does he do that?"

Hinata looked up to see his disheartened expression. It was something she recognized well and it was one of the many reasons she loved him. For Naruto, there were certain hurtful, painful things that people said or did to each other that he just could not understand and refused to accept.

Hinata hugged the arm of his she had been holding a little tighter. "Neji-niisan just wants to protect her," she said softly in his ear, "but he doesn't handle failure very well either."

Shikamaru didn't like watching Sakura stand there with a vacant, numb expression.Another thought crossed his mind, "_She doesn't have anyone to go home to...that sucks... oh, whatever."_ He opened his mouth not sure what was going to come out.

"Hey Sakura," Shikamaru started to say awkwardly, "I know it's short notice and all, but if you want, you can come over to my house for dinner. Ino always makes too much and, uh, I know she'd love the company."

Sakura was unreadable as she searched his face for a reason. Here her lazy, antisocial, normally grumpy captain was being a nice guy. His kindness took her off guard and the tears of rage she had held back till now fell slowly down her cheek at the gesture.

Sakura sniffled with a laugh at herself. "Thank you Shikamaru, that sounds wonderful," she said wiping at her eyes. Naruto and Hinata smiled at him approvingly, which made him feel embarrassed.

"Alright let's go! I'm already late. Ino hates it when I'm late!"

"Whipped," Naruto coughed into his hand.

"What did you call me!"

"Betsuni," Naruto muttered averting his eyes.

Hinata made a face and turned to Sakura. "You know it's really nice when a guy tells people he's worried about his girlfriend." She knew Naruto was listening as she went on, "I wonder if Naruto tell people he's thinking about me."

"Hey, Hinata!"

Hinata turned back to him acting surprised, "Oh, Naruto, I'm sorry! I thought you were talking to Shikarmaru still." Naruto enfolded her in a bear hug. "I tell everyone I miss you all the time!" he yelled practically echoing down the street. Hinata gave Sakura a glance with an adorable impish expression and Sakura quickly hid her smile with her hand.

Shikamaru watched the whole thing go down. Being with Ino, whose ability with the "guilt trip" techinque was "Kage" level, this simple manipulation appeared mere child's play.

"Whipped," he coughed into his hand.

"What?" said Naruto giving him a funny look.

"Betsuni," he said quickly looking at the sky.

The edge of the molten sun was slipping down behind the outer walls of Konohagakure as the four remaining nins came to Shikamaru's apartment building. He could see the warm light coming from balcony window and even caught faint sound of water running in his sink as it drifted from an open window. _"Home," _he thought contentedly meaning a person not a place. He and Sakura said their goodbyes to Naruto and Hinata and began the troop up the three flights of steps to his door.

It was as they started to the second flight that Shikamaru hit upon an excellent idea.

"Sakura!" he said excitedly looking at her with such an alien look of glee that the woman contemplated running.

"What?" she said fearfully.

"We can play Go!" he yelled

Sakura made a face. "No, I don't like board games."

Shikamaru threw his hands up. "But you're not bad!"

Sakura moved past him so she could get to his apartment faster. "I only played you once!" she said. "When you tricked us all saying it was training for some mission."

"I know, I was bored then," Shikamaru said dismissively, "but you show potential!"

Sakura renewed the climb up as she answered. She had learned long ago that when dealing with the mentally deranged it was important to keep moving. "I'm not playing," she told him. "Besides, you'll never let me win."

Shikamaru looked dumbstruck. "What fun is that!" he spouted, "Besides, I let people win."

"Who!" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"Ino," he replied smugly.

"How many times?" she dug suspiciously pausing on the steps to look back at him.

Shikamaru's smug look faltered. "Once," he told her.

Sakura resumed her assent. "I'm not playing," she informed him.

"Come on!" he whined.

"No," came the deadpan reply.

"It's an order," he tried in a commanding tone.

"Ha!" snorted Sakura still climbing, "Now I am ignoring you."

"Please!" he pleaded, "I hate playing with myself."

"Sounds like a personal problem Shikamaru, you should tell Ino," quipped Sakura giving her medical opinion, "...and no."

Hinata and Naruto listened to the banter fade as they walked along the road where it led to the small bridge that ran over an irrigation ditch. They stopped at the middle and waited watching the sun's final breath cool in the far horizon. They were quiet after that walking togther closely in the final approach to Naruto's abode.

Hinata loved being with him like this. Naturally a boisterous person, Naruto had told Hinata once that being with her made him finally appreciate silence. The steps seemed too few as they came to the stairway that ran around up the side of the building to Naruto's apartment. Not that Naruto ever took the steps to his "penthouse" as he called it.

Naruto turn to her and moved into kiss her goodnight as she turn her head to the side letting his lips land on her cheek.

"Hinata?" he asked with concern.

The pale, lithe girl seemed nervous. "Naruto," she said unable to look at him, "Don't you want to ask me something?"

Naruto looked down at her with complete confusion. "Uhhh, Are you are ok about tomorrow? Cause listen I'm sorry, I really couldn't tell anyone, I was just glad..."

Hinata eyes were very big as she interrupted him. "Not that… anything else," she sad softly leaning into him.

Naruto put his arms around her in a reflex, but his gaze was still tilted toward the rooftops as his brain was wrestled with her question. "Well let's see... I asked you before if you wanted to go out for dinner and you shot that down. And I asked you before if you were ok and you said yes. 'Cause like I said, I didn't expect Sasuke to go all 'dark avenger' on me again and …

Hinata stared up at him was trying not to get mad as Naruto's little discussion moved even farther from what she wanted.

"We could have dinner at my place… but you know I can't cook..."

Hinata jumped in seeing her chance. "A, Actually," she said grabbing onto the lapels of his jacket, "I figured we could grab something afterwards, when we'd be hungry."

Naruto's eyebrow lifted. "Afterwards?" he said still groping for a clue.

Hinata laid her head on his chest with a sigh, "Naruto-kun…don't make me say it."

Naruto looked down to gaze her eyes. He found the answer there and the realization made his heartbeat a little faster. "Oh," he said as a blush appeared and sweat formed on his brow.

Hinata had the most tender smile. It always made him feel warm all over. He never was worried she'd judge him or hate him for what lived inside him. He never felt stupid or awkward around her either, even if he knew he was acting that way.

Naruto's blush faded as the warmth of her smile infused his being.

"Hinata," he said, his voice gettng that little catch in it she found irresistable, "Why don't you come to my place? Maybe we'll order ramen later." The blond-nin scooped her off her feet before she could respond. Whatever Hinata had thought say was lost to the wind as Naruto jumped up to his door in a single leap.

Hinata reminded herself to thank Ino for all her advice.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

A/N: I had mild writer's block on this chappie (which the world's oldest excuse). The next one, chp 25, almost wrote itself and should be out soon!

This one wasn't just filler, IMHO. The reason these people are all so close is because of their shared experience. It sort of overlays and transcends their martial and competitive relationships. (Sorry if that was too wordy!)

And yeah, I'm a big fat liar about quick chapters, the people I'm living with are insane and they plague me, though they are great source material! (For instance, I watched this girl put her hand through a wall and thought, "Gee, I bet that's how Tsunade does it!" – and honestly, you never can tell who went to karate when they were a kid until it's just too late!) Whatever, alas, I now need to move out of the house I share and get an apartment. Ugh! Annoying!

peace out,

BN


	25. Rain

Enjoy! BN

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter 25 – Rain

The dappled shadows of early dusk clung to Kakashi as he lay immobile on the cot Tsunade's Anbu had provided for his captivity. The room was a sparse affair with only a bed, a stool and a bare nightstand. At least the breeze from a half open window blended with the ceiling fan above to keep the room reasonably cool, however its grime covered blades spun above him with a droning hypnotic slowness.

All things considered, Kakashi figured a resourceful toddler could have escaped the place, yet given the laxity of his guard it was clear that they were unconcerned about that possibility for him.

"_I feel like a kid in first year academy who was just given a timeout," _he mused. The comparison caused a sudden image of his adult self standing in the corner of a classroom holding pails of water, all the while a stern looking Iruka scowling at him from his teacher's desk. It made him want to chuckle. Alas, even that movement was beyond him.

It was strange to think about Iruka now. It was a funny, warm and distracting thing; annoying at the same time. On cue, Kakashi's internal warning system against 'complex emotion' activated and he forcibly shifted his mind to other matters more pressing.

"It's time to get out of hear" he said aloud. The elite jounin expanded his awareness and opened his chakra to capacity. Carefully molding it he focused intensely as he looked down over body and towards his sandaled left foot. With a voice filled with power he commanded, "Move big toe!" The plump digit glowed fiercely as the visible crackling light of chakra skittered around the room filling with it the sound of a thousand birds in flight.

The toe remained as still as stone.

Kakashi began to feel lightheaded and with an exhale ended his breakout attempt. His toe's unnatural light flickered away. "Well, at least I've solved that night light problem," he told himself, "Guess I'll take another nap."

The jounin was almost asleep when the room's only door across from him opened. The glint of sunglasses even in the dimness and the high collared gray jacket marked the entrance of the torture and interrogation squad's prodigy, Aburame Shino. The bug clan adept had been amazingly successful in extracting information from prisoners using his resident colony of chakra bugs to bone chilling effect. Just the other day, Morino Ibiki had tearfully informed the Hokage that it was like finding a long lost son.

However, it was when the mysterious nin stepped aside to reveal a second face that Kakashi's eyebrow shot up in surprise. A subdued and nervous looking Iruka walked into the small room from behind the chuunin. He turned to Shino with a bow of apology. "Thank you for leading me here, Shino-kun."

Shino was unreadable, but his voice was sincere as he replied. "No problem, Iruka-sensei, please take your time." The exchange was over in moments. The door closed behind the pony-tailed man as he looked awkwardly at the floor.

"Well this is a surprise," Kakashi said. "I must have really pissed Tsunade off if she sent you torture me."

The academy teacher pulled the stool over and sat at the bedside. He spoke woodenly. "The village is preparing for an attack right now Kakashi-san and I was the only one who could be spared."

"_He refuses to meet my eyes,"_ thought Kakashi, _"and it's 'Kakashi-san' again."_

Iruka was all business as his hands went down to Kakashi's left ankle. Although he couldn't see it very well, the immobilized scarecrow soon realized that Iruka was massaging his leg. "Iruka, I…" Kakashi began as the other man cut him off.

"You have been paralyzed for almost a full day," Iruka said, talking abruptly at first. "The blood flow in your limbs will be sluggish. This will help reduce the pain and recovery time."

For once Kakashi had the sense to remain quiet as the other man worked methodically. His palms circled in practiced, knowledgeable strokes, leading pressure back towards the heart and blood back into the muscle tissues.

Iruka seemed to relax a little in the silence. As he moved to Kakashi's arms and hands, his speech regained a more natural tone. He volunteered, "You know for a long time I wanted to be a medical ninja, ever since I was small... I thought that that they were special people,... medical nins, even my parents said so. Everyone in the village said that there were always too few of them, that more lives could have been saved if there had been more." Iruka laughed a little to hide his self-consciousness, his gaze remaining focus on his hands as he talked. "Later," he continued, "as a genin, I found out that I didn't possess the skills necessary to be trained and I was…well I had been very angry …, but I tried very hard to keep it hidden... I was good at that at least!"

"_Does he still regret how his parents had died,"_ Kakashi wondered, "_or does he feel he will never be live up to there sacrifice?"_ The masked-nin was often faulted for his lack of sensitivity when it came to the feelings of others, but he knew one thing. Living in the shadow of one's parents was a terrible burden. He thought to himself, _"How many years did I struggle with my own father's legacy?"_

"The Third used to say," started Kakashi interrupting the silence, "it was impossible to remake the past. . . to try is to only avoid the future."

Iruka looked at Kakashi in surprise. It was for the first time that evening.

"When did he tell you this?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi's visible eye twinkled. "I was nine years old and it was just after he made a failed attempt at peeping into the women's bathhouse."

Iruka's face became quizzical and flashed through disbelief before a wry sort of laughter broke from him. It came out breathy and soft as it shook the chuunin's shoulders.

Kakashi felt relief. _"He's not mad at me,"_ he thought. It was important for him that Iruka not be angry. He couldn't say why, but his smile was what he wanted to see.

"That's better," Kakashi said, which earned him a slight blush. "Aah," Iruka agreed as he kept circulating his hands.

Iruka's palms moved gently along Kakashi's shoulder's and collarbone to end resting on the jounin's chest. "Ok, we're almost done," the academy teacher said pleasantly.

"Oh," Kakashi said, "you mean I get a happy ending too."

Iruka frowned. "You such a perverted…," began Iruka when another thought hit him. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

The sudden change in moods made Kakashi nervous. "What?"

Iruka looked very pleased with himself as he smiled wickedly. "I think I'll see what's behind that mask now," he said while reaching over to Kakashi's face.

"Don't touch it," threatened Kakashi in his most menacing voice, "if you want to keep all your fingers."

Iruka paused, but his grin became indulgent. "Awww," he gloated, "Is the big, scary, jounin gonna hurt me?"

Kakashi stared daggers at Iruka as he teasingly walked his fingers up to his face mask. His fingertips softly traced against the edge of the black fabric that met the immobile nin's face just below his eyes. Iruka's smug look faded. He left the mask in place and instead ran his hand along the older man's jaw line.

The scarecrow nin became confused. Iruka leaned closer and studied Kakashi's face as his thumb pressed lightly over Kakashi's hidden mouth.

Iruka seemed to break from his trance and looking into Kakashi's eye with a quiet anguish as he shifted over to his ear.

"I hate you," he whispered, "…_Kai_."

The jounin was caught off guard; Iruka had folded his right hand in Kakashi's to make the seal for ending the jutsu.

The academy sensei stood abruptly and with stagger step back he rapidly formed the seals for an escape jutsu.

"Wait, Iruka." Kakashi said as he tried to sit up." The protest of awakened nerves and atrophied muscles tossed him back to the cot while the smoke of Iruka's jutsu thinned in the air. The pain of it was like hundreds of fine needles stabbing throughout his body. It was all he could do not to cry out from the intense sudden agony.

"I wonder what that would have been like without Iruka's aid," he thought as he mastered the pain. "I need to find him, but first things first."

Kakashi heaved himself onto the floorboards and after a shudder passed through him he crawled slowly towards the toilet in the next room.

Three quarters of an hour later the moon had risen high over Konoha and Hatake Kakashi was running at about a quarter of his usual speed over the rooftops. "I know where to start at least," he said to himself as he approached the Hokage's residence.

Annoyed with the slowness of his hands as he formed seals Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves to reappear inside the large building. The place looked dead. Nonetheless, walking down the corridor to where he expected to find Tsunade, he was unsurprised to find Raido materializing out of the inky blackness of the shadows in front of him. The jounin with the scarred face looked Kakashi up and down before letting out a whistle.

"You look like shit, Kakashi," he said, "that Iruka must be tougher than he looks."

Kakashi wasn't in the mood. "Piss off Raido. Where's Tsunade?"

Raido tilled his head a little like he was debating on what to say. "She's where you left her, or rather where she left you."

Kakashi didn't bother responding. He had a reputation among the jounin for yanking people's chains and so most were more than happy to return the favor.

The masked nin arrived at the right set of double doors and pushed them open to the scroll library where he was assailed with the reek of stale alcohol.

"Kakashi!" squealed a tipsy Hokage as she waved from the perch of her large red couch.

Tsunade's collection of sake bottles had grown to an obscene level in Kakashi's time away.

"Nice to know you've been busy preparing for battle," Kakashi said sarcastically.

Tsunade puffed her cheeks out a little and pouted, "It's so boring to hide all day! I had nothing else to do. Besides," she said wagging a limp finger at him, "you're just sour because poor Iruka-kun is angry with you."

Kakashi tilted his head in disbelief. "Why do you think I care?"

Tsunade seemed glad he asked the question as she leaned over the back of her divan to face him, her sake bottle in mid-pour. "Well, ever since you started chasing him around the village…"

Kakashi snorted, "What do you mean? He's been underfoot like a lost puppy every time I turn around... it's him who chasing me."

The Hokage shook her head ruefully as she placed her cup down then tottered to stand up. After a tense moment where she braced herself for the room to stop spinning she beamed a warm smile at his double image. "Kakashi, why are you here?" she asked.

The scarecrow nin became withdrawn as he roughly shoved his hands his pockets. "I don't know," he told her.

Tsunade moved to stand next to Kakashi which made him a little nervous after last time. She was still smiling too which made him even more uneasy. She was never this pleasant sober.

"Well, if you don't know maybe you should just go home and get some rest before tomorrow,"she told him.

Kakashi realized that was exactly what he should do and exactly what he didn't want her say.

He thought,_ "I was sort of expecting her to tell me to chase after him."_

"Aah," he said in agreement, turning to leave.

"Wait," Tsunade told him, "I'll heal you." Without waiting for his assent, the Hokage performed a series of seals that were some of the sloppiest looking things Kakashi had ever seen. When Tsunade finished there was a brief sporadic glow that encased her hand, but had winked out just as she touched his chest.

Kakashi didn't feel a thing. "I don't feel any better," he told her.

"Really," say Tsunade swaying slightly. "Let me try again." This time she stared at her hands intensely as she made the first seal. Kakashi could swear she was looking at them cross-eyed.

"That's ok, Hokage-sama," he said backing away, "Thank you. Really, I feel better already. You are an amazing healer. I'm going home, right now."

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke and Tsunade uncrossed her eyes and giggled until she hiccupped. Her hands flashed fluidly through a complex series of seals and her entire body gained a purple aura that flickered away to leave a sober Hokage. She walked briskly over to her desk and picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the sake-infused sweat that had beaded up all over her skin.

_"Intoxication is a voluntary condition for any decent medical ninja,"_ Tsunade thought primly. As she mopped away the sheen on her face the Hokage silently congratulated herself on her acting ability. Her healing of Kakashi had been a complete success but his recovery would delay until sunrise.

"If Kakashi finds him sooner, it will at least give Iruka a chance to give him that punch in the jaw he was talking about earlier." she mused remembering Iruka's visit before going to unseal Kakashi. "That poor young man had been so angry all because he was afraid Kakashi wouldn't return his feelings."

Tsunade was silent for a time as she remembered in fleeting memories her own trials with love. "Good luck to both of you," she whispered in the empty room, "To have your love returned by another is always a precious thing... even more so for a ninja."

The Hokage had other matters more pressing than two silly men to worry about, as she carried the weight of protecting an entire village on her shoulders. She still couldn't help happily humming some nameless tune as she carefully picked through her scrolls and contents of her hidden stores among the stacks. She too had a role to play as she prepared for her own part in the battle ahead.

Kakashi had decided to walk slowly to his house as the effort of normal ninja travel seemed a waste of energy. His stiffness had abated a little, but he still felt like he'd been rolled into sushi.

He came to a lonely intersection and recalled that last time he walked through here at night he had a passenger. The memory of it made him feel warm inside and without quite realizing it he turned the wrong way.

It was even stranger to him how he ended up in front of Iruka's apartment building. Without hesitation, he leapt up to a window in a move that his leg muscles immediately screamed at him for. Peeking inside he saw a solitary light above the kitchen sink that cast a dim luminescence through a doorway where Kakashi spied a perfectly made bed.

"He never came home." Kakashi sighed. The gnaw of concern bubbled under Kakashi's stoic shell. He jumped back down the three stories to the ground. "Oww," he breathed, to note the insane pain that caused, "that was very dumb of me." Walking off a slight limp Kakashi made his way towards the other place he thought Iruka might be.

Hours had passed since he'd left the Hokage's library as Kakashi strolled into the wooded area that had doubled as both a park and the site of many a bell test for genin teams. His hunch was on target as he found a brooding Iruka standing in front of the heroes' monument where the names of countless friends and family including Iruka's parents were carved.

Kakashi smiled cheerfully with a friendly wave as Iruka turned. "'Konbanwa' Iruka or should I say 'ohaiyo'?"

Iruka glared at Kakashi with hooded eyes. "Why," he asked stiffly, "Why are you here?"

The silver hair nin moved a few paces toward him into the light of the sinking moon as the far horizon tinted with a rose hue. "I sometimes come here when I feel alone." Kakashi said softly.

Iruka stared hard at Kakashi before nodding and made to depart. "I'll leave you alone then."

"No wait," Kakashi protested. "Don't leave."

"Why?" Iruka said again.

"I don't know because I have a perverse sense of humor?" responded Kakashi sarcastically. "That isn't what I meant to say," he thought.

Iruka's peered sharply at him with bloodshot eyes

_"Was he crying?"_ thought Kakashi as Iruka began quickly close the space between them, then a another thing occured to him. _"He's going to hit me,"_ the silver haired man realized.

"Iruka," Kakashi said as the other man's fist connected with his face. Kakashi's head snapped back as the punch clipped him in the jaw.

"Iruka," Kakashi tried again, as a second swing caught him on the other side of the chin. _"I should have been able to avoid that," _he thought, "my reflexes are completely shot right now."

The smaller man seemed possessed as he swung again which this time Kakashi ducked, then jumping back to avoid Iruka flashing kick. _"He is tougher than he looks,"_ Kakashi thought remembering Raido's comment earlier.

"Iruka stop this," he said trying to be patient with him, but the other man would have none of it.

"Just leave me alone," he yelled approaching again.

He rushed Kakashi, but the jounin was ready for him this time. He caught Iruka's fist squarely and checking the man's kick with his own leg as he deftly twisted his arm into a lock behind his back.

"Ok, now will you…" Kakashi was cutoff as he suddenly felt his ear slam into his shoulder. Somehow Iruka had managed to use his other hand to grab a hold of his hair pulling his head sideways.

Kakashi was getting angry as he tightened the armbar. "Iruka! Let go or I'll break your arm!"

The chuunin sensei was wincing, but his grip only tightened. "No, you idiot!" he snapped, "You let go!"

Both men grimaced as a stalemate developed. Each locked in their death grip they could only stand their as the skies suddenly opened in a torrential shower. The icy rain seemed to release steam as it soaked the two leaf nins.

Kakashi couldn't help find the scene ridiculous. Two grown men scuffling in the rain like delinquents after school. He started to chuckle helplessly and noticed that Iruka had started to do the same thing and their laughter grew. It was brief and honest causing the tension to ease as the well-timed cold shower had it's effect. They released each other and Iruka turned to look up at him. "Kakashi, I'm very..."

"Wait Iruka," he said taking other man's hand gently, "I want to show you something." With that he brought it to lay it against his face, guiding the fingers to curl over the edge of his mask.

Iruka jerked his hand away like it was burning and looked blushing over Kakashi's shoulder. The jounin turned to see a group of four masked Anbu coalesce out of the gray mist. He was surprised why they had concealed their present until the last moment as Iruka walked around him starting to apologize. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble, we just..."

"Iruka!" Kakashi said sharply. The chuunin turned back as Kakashi heard the silvery staccato of steel sinking into flesh and a look of confused pain appear on Iruka's face. The dark haired man collapsed into Kakashi's arms.

"I was hoping to kill someone special in front of you," said one of the Anbu who lifted his mask to reveal his identity, "but I never would have expected him."

Kakashi's rage burned inside as he almost spit the man's name back at him.

"Kabuto."

TO BE CONTINUED

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	26. Fire

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

A/N: This is obviously a predestined meeting that Kishmoto-san will assuredly write better than I ever will. Enjoy!

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Chapter 26 – Fire

Dawn crept over the horizon of forested hills as Sasuke peered across the next valley from his vantage in the treetops. Itachi's message for Naruto had been brief. It said simply to travel northwest from Konoha towards Grass Country.

"...and on the morning of the second day an invitation will appear," Sasuke repeated, recalling the final words of the scroll. He made a point to avoid contemplating what his brother would consider an 'invitation', yet boding thoughts crept in a steady stream through his mind.

"_This will be an end,"_ he vowed. It all made sense; the gnawing doubt that lingered in him, never seeing a body, never believing the reports of his brother's defeat. Later shackled and caged by his own village, he never gave in, never lost focus, never accepted their lies. Training, preparing, hiding his true intent; it had all been for this day.

"Itachi."

As the shadows lengthened over the valley Sasuke caught the faintness of smoke in the wind. Gazing down he spied an inky tendril drifting up from the far horizon. Knowing it for what it was he traveled swiftly yet with care closing ground in little time. As he descended he found himself on a wide path that could at first glance be mistaken for a road. Its foot beaten clay led along the natural contour of stone and tree drawing him forward.

The forest thinned to reveal a gathering of no more than what seemed a dozen small houses. They were clustered tightly into a tiny village. Ancient looking gateposts marked the entrance where a sign hung down. Three blades of grass plaited and squared in green.

The clan symbol brought to his mind the compound of the Uchiha, hidden amongst the homes of Konoha. A village within a village, it too had an appearance much like this place.

The weathered wood of the posts seemed unkempt, marred by dirt and grime, that is until Sasuke came closer. The blackness of the marks along with the incessant buzzing of flies marked it for a more sinister stain.

"Blood," Sasuke said in recognition.

Passing through the gates more signs of violence appeared. Broken windows, shattered doors, laundry lines fallen and scattered to the wind. Old blood pooled and spattered about like spills of black paint_. "There are no bodies_," he observed silently. _"Where did the people who lived here go? Did anyone escape? Or were they captured and taken somewhere?"_

It was then the sweet smell of roasting flesh twined with the putrid odor of decay entered his nose. Walking quickly he turned the corner off the main street where he found the source of the smoke he had seen earlier.

Bodies bloated with rot sizzled as they burned in a pyre of wood and oil. Their faces were still decipherable in the macabre; men and women, elderly to infant all frozen in the pain of their last moment.

"An entire clan," he thought. Sasuke grimaced as his stomach lurched in response.

"I was saving this for Naruto-kun," came a familiar voice from behind.

Sasuke whirled around. Itachi was there, cowled and cloaked as always, black with swirling red clouds that matched his eyes.

"I am very disappointed in him for not showing," Itachi continued, his eyes flicking from the burning bodies to Sasuke, "Hopefully, little brother, you've improved enough to make your death memorable."

"Itachi!" Sasuke snarled with rage. "Sharingan!"

He launched himself at his emotionless adversary who retreated backwards into the dim interior of the nearest home. Sasuke's ire seared like acid through his veins as he pursued his foe.

Charging into the house towards the trailing sound of retreating footfalls he crashed through the doors of wood and paper. Raw anger had carried him forward into the main common room, but what he saw there arrested him.

His mother sat in a pool of blood cradling his father's body. She looked up at Sasuke from his father's lifeless face. He could barely recognize her as her kind face from his memory held none of its warmth.

"Sasuke," she croaked as blood ran from the corner of her mouth, Why?" The crimson line traced down to join the flow the other wounds where Itachi's katana had speared her so long ago. Her voice was fury. "Why were you so weak?" she sobbed. "Why! I even told you your father cared for you, when all he did was complain about how pathetic you were." Her cheeks were stained with tears that could no longer be shed.

"Why?" She wailed, "Why did you let this happen to us?"

"You are not her," Sasuke said softly. His hands blurred with motion as he inhaled deeply. His jutsu resonated with power as he released it.

"_Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu_!" (Fire Type Great Fireball)

The inferno swept through the room shattering the image of his parents, blasting through the wooden walls to the outside.

His jutsu ended as a final lick of flame flickered in his exhale. Taking a normal breath, he steadied himself as footsteps crunched the fresh cinders outside the hole he had just made.

His heart caught in his throat.

Sakura appeared worn from battle with a limping step. Her right arm clutched tightly to her midsection as if pressed to an injury. A tiny part of his mind told him he was still in the genjutsu, but his heart clung to her image.

The illusion that couldn't be Sakura, grimaced at him with pain-filled eyes. "Sasuke," she said through forming tears. "Why did you leave me? The village is gone. Naruto, Kakashi, everyone is dead!" Her lips trembled as she paused. "All…all because you left. Why! When I…?" She became too choked up to continue, then with a fearful glance she turned left towards some danger from the outside he couldn't see.

The singing whisper of thrown weapons pulsed in his ears as a shriek tore from her. He was frozen, staring as a kunai pierced her throat. It was followed by many more, each blade slicing and shredding, destroying her. He watched as that which shouldn't be Sakura collapsed and died.

Sasuke turned his head away in horror and where a wall had been he now observed an open room. A mirror of himself at thirteen glared back at him. Arrogant and furious, the boy he was mocked with a familiar smile. The curse seal sprawled over the boy's skin as he held by the throat of a fainted younger Naruto. It was replay of his past. The doppelganger's free hand cracked with chakra and like a living blade he plunged it through his captive's heart, exiting through his back with savage efficiency. The conditions met, the sharingan in the boy's eyes evolved to a serrated, spinning kaleidoscope.

"This is what you should have done" he sneered, "Because you are such a coward, we became too weak. We'll never beat him. Never get our revenge."

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled. He closed his eyes. _"I need to break out of this for good,"_ he thought. Releasing the bonds of his curse seal, he felt it snake out of it's prison over his body like liquid fire. Its power flooded through him overiding the genjutsu's hold on his senses. He reopened his eyes as the scene twisted away back to an empty room with an undamaged floor and walls.

Sasuke was done with his brother's sense of humor as he forced the seal back to dormancy. He looked upwards with his Sharingan and then raising his hand in a seal. A swirl of leaves to teleported him in an instance to the roof above.

Itachi stood there a building away with his unreadable stare. "All you need is your hatred for me, little brother," he said. "Those other people have only gotten in the way."

Sasuke was ready this time. His hands moved like lightning.

"_Katon Housenka no Jutsu_" (Fire Type Mythical Fire Flower)

Balls of fire scattered from Sasuke as he targeted his brother who dodged sideways. The projectiles overtook him clouding the area around him with thick smoke. As Sasuke ended his barrage Itachi materialized behind him plunging a kunai deep between his ribs. "Humph," Itachi murmured, "very good little brother." The color of Sasuke's body faded to a grayish color and began to deflate.

"_Monuke bushin _(Snake skin clone)" realized Itachi. The limbs of the sagging clone sudden constricted around him and its hands linked together in a seal. The cadaverous head whipped around with boneless ease to face his surprised opponent.

"**_Souja Sousai no Jutsu!" _(Twin Snake Destroyer)**

**The clone and Itachi twisted tighter with a nauseating, popping sound. As the skin melted away the body of Itachi dropped to disappear in a puff of nin-smoke.**

**Sasuke emerged out of the nearby tree he hid himself inside with the cloaking jutsu he had learned from the Orochimaru. "Kage Bushin," he said aloud. His brother materialized on another tree branch a short distance away. **

**Itachi looked mildly amused. "You fight like Orochimaru." His hands came together. "I am stronger than him. Fight me as an Uchiha... or die." Itachi's seals were blindingly fast follow even with the Sharingan. Sasuke stepped backwards to sink into the tree's trunk again as Itachi's jutsu released.**

**"_Katon Ryuuka no Jutsu!"_ (**Fire Type Dragon Fire)

The stream of flame bore through the massive tree like a white hot needle. Sasuke reappear at the base of the trunk and extended his arm as writhing serpents appeared from his sleeve.

"_Senai Jashuu!"_ (Hidden Snake Hands)

The snakes flew towards Itachi as his jutsu ended wrapping his legs before he could avoid them.

"Got you bastard," Sasuke grinned. He tugged hard for the heads to return. Itachi hurtled towards him when he noticed something that made his grin fade. Sparks began to flicker from his brother's form as it neared.

"An exploding bushin!" Sasuke exhaled in disbelief. The Ryuuka jutsu was a powerful attack and Sasuke was certain his brother's bushin was incapable of sustaining it. Sasuke drew back the snakeheads faster by releasing the deadly clone. He sprang away and covered up as it detonated. The blast threw him backwards into another tree trunk. He slide down it roughly falling to his hands and knees.

He tried to catch his breath as his brother came charging from the side. He swiftly kicked Sasuke in the face. The force of it flipping the younger man in the air. On the return to earth Itachi met his brother in midair to land a punch to his stomach. Sasuke slapped down on the ground without any power to guard his fall.

Itachi looked down at his brother coolly. "This is all that you can do," he asked with disgust, "even now?"

Sasuke swallowed the bloody spit he felt filling his mouth. While mastering the agony of his injuries his thoughts flashed to his mother's true face, his father's rare smile and later memories Naruto's fox-like grin and then finally with perfect clarity the last time he saw Sakura's face. All those smiles haunted him now. "I can't lose here," he thought.

His curse seal opened to its first level from the dashed circle on his shoulder. The hateful sensation of it washed away the trifles of his physical pain. He sprang up and launched himself at Itachi.

The other Uchiha seemed amused at first. Sasuke's first punch he blocked easily to return a blow that now Sasuke sidestepped. Sasuke threw a kick that whistled by Itachi's ear and drove him back to avoid it. The Sharingan users seemed perfectly matched, but slowly Itachi's bemused smile waned as the fight bore on.

Spinning and striking relentlessly Sasuke soon had Itachi on the defensive and they both knew it. "I'm faster than him," Sasuke realized, "and stronger." His brother's taijutsu abilities had seemed godlike to him for so long he almost didn't believe what happening.

Itachi was forced to duck under a punch by Sasuke when the impossible happened. Sasuke's other fist caught Itachi viciously under the chin tossing him across the clearing into a pile.

Sasuke smirked arrogantly with a confidence he had never felt facing his brother before. He ran forward to meet Itachi as he rose. His fist was blocked by Itachi's palm just as he snatched away the punch that was thrown back at him.

The two siblings were locked up, but Sasuke felt no fear. _"His weakness is his lack of stamina,"_ he thought, _"I'm stronger than him now. I can win."_ The line of Itachi's mouth flattened with the effort of holding Sasuke back.

"You have gotten better, Sasuke," Itachi commended him, "but can you grow more?" The sharingan in Itachi's eyes adjusted to the mangekyou.

Sasuke fearfully broke eye contact with his opponent and leapt away into the air. He couldn't allow Itachi close enough to use the mangekyou's special techniques or he was done for.

At the height of his jump Sasuke pushed his seal to it's next level. The terrible metamorphosis tore through his clothing as the wings of the demonic form unfurled. Lifting himself higher in the air, his hands flashed through a long series of seals.

"_Sansei Udoku_!" (Acidic Venom Rain)

A swirling green spray spewed from Sasuke's mouth. The hissing drops flew downward sizzling through everything they touched. Sasuke was sure he Itachi couldn't escape when he saw a light come from below.

"_Goukakyuu no Jutsu_!"

Itachi had formed his own fireball and Sasuke was amazed at its size and power as it ate away his jutsu.

"_It's too powerful,"_ Sasuke thought. He could do nothing except fold his wings protectively as the wash of flame engulfed him.

The Katon technique extinguished and Sasuke fell in a smoky ruin. His level two body melted away from him and he wholly normal as he hit the dirt once again. His body was singed all over while his ankle and wrist felt twisted from the landing.

Sasuke stared at the ground and fought for breath as Itachi walked up to him without hurry.

"It's time to complete your failure, little brother," he said impassively.

Sasuke wiped some blood from his mouth and drug it lightly over the odd symbol that appeared on his forearm less than a day ago. _"Don't use it until your need is great,"_ he thought as Naruto's words flashed in through his mind. Itachi kicked Sasuke in the ribs curling him into a ball. The younger nin forced his hands through the four seals necessary as he clutched at his side.

He felt a grip on his collar and knew he was about to be hauled up. He placed his hand down flat willing his last desperate reserve of chakra into the summoning.

"Kuichyose no jutsu!"

A vast cloud of smoke billowed from Sasuke's hand and Itachi released his grip springing away.

Sasuke was past the ability to control his body. He felt elevated then sliding down the side of something that seemed smooth, warm and very much alive. He landed to the ground finally and stared up in awe.

A long sinuous orange-red body was revealed in the thinning mist. Thick black marks like a giant's finger-paint marked its torso, legs and thick bulb-like tail. The beast was easily the size of the toad he had seen Naruto summon… maybe bigger.

"It's a salamander," Sasuke thought.

It's giant head peered down at him with three round eyes. It's middle orb set higher that the other two had no pupil and it was a solid cobalt blue.

The creature's voice was thunderous.

"Who dares to call on the great Sanhekijiyan!"

TO BE CONTINUED

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	27. Divide

A/N: Sorry everyone. I meant to take a small break and work on some other projects and then WHAM! 0o Two months passed!

Short chapter, Enjoy!

Japanese fun: '_Teme!'_ is basically just a rude version of "You!" the formal being '_Anata_'. It's often translated to something like "You bastard!" This is a gender-neutral word in Japanese, so for women maybe "You bastard-ess?" or "girl-bastard?" :)

Additional word fun: the word "Bastard" is from 13th Century Old French, '_fils de bast'_, meaning roughly "a child conceived on an improvised bed" with pejorative '-_ard' _tacked on the end.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 27 – Divide 

The shrill echo of sirens invaded their solitude while dawn's light stirred through the windows gray and moted. Shikamaru and Ino remained still as their eyes, wide and alert opened from the shallow sleep they had fought throughout the night. Fully clothed and above the covers they lay wrapped in each others arms lingering in the small time before the alarm repeat. By the third blast they rose with calm efficiency and smoothly prepared for battle. The sound of locking straps and fastened metal filling the void.

A minute had slunk by and the sirens once again renewed their staccato. Shikamaru tightened the knot of his forehead protector on his left sleeve and in doing so allow himself his first glimpse of Ino. "She's ready before me, as always," he thought.

Ino's face held a rare seriousness as she looked up at him. He cinched the knotted cloth again and then not stopping reached for her. His hands holding her gently as his mouth met hers. It felt desperate and longing. He ended it only to kiss her more briefly, almost chaste. A third time, hummingbird quick and velvet soft ending as the weight of the coming battle crushed on them. He drew her close and he felt her arms tighten around him.

Ino held on fiercely laying her head on his chest. "Don't do anything stupid…," she said, "you always over do it you know."

Shikamaru smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Yes, dear," he droned in mock sarcasm.

The gruff of his voice rumbled through his chest to tickle Ino's ear. She let out a small giggle that came dangerously close to a sniffle. "Well, as long as you know I'm right," she said with a hint more cheer.

"Aah," he replied. Shikamaru rubbed her back a little as her felt her shiver. "I'll see you when I get home," he told her as he loosed her hold.

Shikamaru backed away from her giving her his best roguish smile and in a instant teleported away.

The smoke thinned and the returning stillness made the tiny apartment's emptiness exquisite. Ino steeled herself forcing away her fears for Shikamaru to the shadows of her mind. "Alright, I have to get to the academy building," she said energetically forming her own seals to exit a place that could not be called home with him.

Shikamaru ran with sharp speed towards the administration building where those left in defense of the village would be. He put his worries for Ino aside knowing that her job to secure the academy building and then head directly to the shelters was probably the safest mission anyone in Konoha would have today.

He landed lightly on the roof of his destination and took deep breath for a reluctant sigh when another ninja landed on the other side of the expanse of roof tiles.

"Hinata?" Shikamaru said in curiously. The woman standing across from him looked tired and hurried, even her normally neatly parted hair was mussed.

"Ohayo, Shikamaru-kun," said Hinata breathlessly. He guessed the redness in her face was from running at top speed, but it was doubtful given what he knew about the intensity of her training routine. Even stranger, he watched her take out a kunai and using the flat of the blade as a mirror began hastily combing her hair with her fingers.

"That Naruto," Hinata muttered in her soft, velvety tone, "If he would have just waited a minute..."

Shikamaru realized he was staring and so did Hinata.

"Don't you have some where to be Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata asked tersely fixed on her task of grooming.

"_Wow, three times this month Hinata's been pissy with me,"_ Shikamaru thought, _"It's definitely a record." _

He shoved his hands in his pockets and replied nonchalantly. "Hey now! You don't live on that side of the village," he said being a bit smarmy. "Hmm... the only person I know over that way I think is Naruto."

Hinata looked up stonily from her kunai. Shikamaru was sure he heard her grip tighten as she held it like a weapon again.

"_She wouldn't..." _he thought nervously,_ "We're at war." _ He gave her a big grin. "See you inside!" he called pleasantly dissolving in a puff of smoke.

He entered the building out thin air passing into the edges of a small crowd. The spacious room normally dotted with chairs, tables and couches had all it's furniture shuttled away to the walls. The tense palpable mood filled the space around the ninja and made the air stifling and expectant. It ended his good mood.

_"I can't believe I said I do this," _Shikamaru thought, indulging his lazy and disagreeable nature. It was the last chance he would have for such idle, selfish things. Moving into the thick of the crowd faces turning towards him, some nodded grimly while others smiled eager and excited.

There were a lot of young faces, younger than him some of them and a few gray haired nins he was sure were in retirement. "Mostly children and grandparents... great," he thought sarcastically. Each of them moved aside as he passed.

"They recognize me," he realized in shock. The pressure of scrutiny made Shikamaru's skin itch. Shikamaru caught a flash of wild blond hair as a brash yell cut over the din of conversation happening around him.

"Oi! Shikamaru! You're late!"

The unassuming nin could feel the grimace plaster on his face as he waded to the center of the gathering._ "Damn that Naruto,"_ he thought. Sakura, Choji, Kiba, Hinata and many other familiar faces greeted him enter the space around Naruto.

"I live a lot farther away from here than you do idiot," he shot back.

"Whatever. Anyway I was just telling everyone here that the Hokage has put you in charge," Naruto said as he turned to give someone behind him a dirt look, "but some of these guys here think I'm a liar!"

Shikamaru watched two nins drift from the crowd. Kotetsu and Izumo were the chuunin assigned to Tsunade as secretaries and had also been examiners in the Chuunin exam that Shikamaru alone had passed. They were always together as well, which was kind of suspicious. _"Not that there's anything wrong with that," _Shikamaru thought with wry amusement.

"No one is saying that Naruto-kun" said Izumo loud enough so everyone could hear, "We just want to wait for an Anbu to arrive and confirm what that you've said is true."

"It is unusual that the Tsunade-sama would leave you alone with orders concerning an enemy attack," added Kotetsu with a smile, "and you're no where near ready to be Hokage."

Naruto glowered at Kotetsu for the comment. Shikamaru heard Naruto mumble "Teme"as he looked ready to explode.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to try and cut Naruto off from starting a brawl when he felt the air change a little.

"Is this all chuunin can do when they're alone?"

Everyone turned to swirl of leaves that appeared just behind them. The swirling air dispelled as a tall powerful looking Anbu captain appeared in their midst. Tipping up a tanuki styled mask, Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oi, Raido, "yelled Naruto as he jerked his thumb at Izumo and Kotetsu, "Tell'm I'm right and that Shikamaru is in charge here."

Sweat broke out on his head in sudden panic. Shikamaru had been so intent on stopping Naruto from arguing he forgot what he was here to do.

Raido made an amused smirk. "Hmph, Well, I wouldn't go that far." The jounin took a step to stand beside Shikamaru as he addressed the room.

"The Hokage knew of today's attack and has made preparations. We are to follow the normal plan for defense of the village. As for the counter offensive, Nara Shikamaru has been put in charge. All Konoha ninja regardless of rank are to follow his orders to the letter." Raido paused staring hard at everyone.

"Is that understood?"

Sharp responses of "Hai" along with many nins shaking their heads in affirmation went around the room.

Raido turned to Shikamaru and said with no hint of sarcasm, "We're yours."

Shikamaru sighed in mock annoyance to cover the wave of tension that hit him. "_This will be the largest mission I've ever commanded,"_ he thought, _"and if I fail, it means the village is destroyed." _

He glancing down at his hands and found a familiar sight, his fingertips pressing together to make an inverted triangle. It was his silly habit for calming himself so he could think everything out. It was something he always did unconsciously. Looking at his hands he thought, "Simple answer. Don't fail."

Shikamaru raised his head as self pity time was over. He asked ,"Raido, what's the situation outside?"

"We only have six Anbu teams out there right now. They have orders to delay the enemy as long as possible then fall back to the village."

"and the enemy?"

The jounin shrugged. "That's the strange part," he said, "A lot of them seem to be mercenaries not Sound ninja. Their losses are already sizable, but they still out number us in man power about six to one."

"What about Orochimaru?" Naruto asked heatedly.

"No," said Raido, "but the Anbu team near the main gate ran into a man we identified as Yakushi Kabuto and a unknown kunoichi... the squad captain said she almost killed his team with one technique.

"Setsuko," said Naruto knowingly.

Shikamaru nodded. Naruto had told him all about the powerful escaped-nin from Hidden Cloud Village.

"Orochimaru will avoid battle and head straight for his objective," thought Shikamaru, "and no sign of Uchiha Itachi means that they bought Sasuke disguised as Naruto with that scroll."

Shikamaru still didn't know the ninja pretending to be Sasuke, who had been placed under house arrest for trying to escape the village. Naruto would only tell him that it was a "good guy," whatever that meant. "Six to one," he thought, "That's a little less than two hundred ninja against a thousand?"

"Raido, " Shikamaru ordered, "Tell the Anbu teams to pull back inside the village and then to concentrate on keeping the shelters protected.

The Jounin with the livid scar on his face slipped his mask back on and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Ok," Shikamaru said talking to the assembly, "Jounin and chuunin here will head up teams of four made up from the genin and retirees. I want the genin to line up and well break off three man cells. For the rookies stay in your three man teams and one of the squad captains will take the place of your jounin sensei."

The room split quickly and Shikamaru spoke to the captains group as the lower ranking nins organized themselves. Seeing all his friends and comrades waiting there gave Shikamaru a swell of confidence. They had all come very far since their academy days. Seeing all his pieces on the board he smiled to himself, "This is going to be easy."

"Listen up, " he said walking over to a map of the Village on the wall. "I want all of you to run a tight loop with your teams sprinting to the edge of the village and then laying traps behind you as come back here to village center. We have about four dozen teams so you'll each take a couple streets."

He placed his hand over a sector and continued, "This area here is the exception, I don't want anyone near it."

"Isn't that were the Uchiha compound is?" Iwashi asked. He was a young jounin and one of the few that had not left the village in the escort up to Suzurimura.

"Exactly," Shikamaru answered. "We have people covering there already. We would just get in the way... Now, once you've laid your traps scout the enemy and engage after they've been softened up by the gauntlet you've laid down. If Raido's report is accurate most of the mercenaries will be out of action and the few true Sound ninja that are left can be taken on directly." He waited to see if there were anymore questions.

"Alright you know the plan, let's go."

Patrol routes were laid out and the chuunin gathered up their make shift teams without a misstep.

Shikamaru took Naruto and Neji aside and saw the questioning looks on their faces. "No genin patrols for you two. Instead we are forming a three man team for a special mission."

"What's that?" asked Naruto in confusion. Neji stony face was the same as always, completely unreadable

Shikamaru's grin became so evil that Naruto looked at Neji questioningly.

"Oh," he said, "we're going snake hunting."

TO BE CONTINUED

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	28. Setting the Board

A/N: I was so glad an anon reviewer asked about the NaruHina post-lovefest! I immediately thought, "Hey! I wrote that scene! Where did that notebook go?..." So I threw a plot edit in chp 27 and made a silly aside in this installment.

Yeah, and Setsuko Arashi was a character I created for this story. She's in a temporary partnership with Itachi for the purposes of killing our favorite blonde-nin...slowly.

Japanese Fun: _Sashiburi-da-na– _aninformal slurred _Ohisashiburi_ basically "Long time no see."; _Ryoukai_ – means "understood", very military, kind of like "Sir, yes, sir!"; _Chigau! – _"Wrong!" ; G_aki –"brat"_

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 28 – Setting the Board

Naruto, Neji and Shikamaru approached the looming walls of the village at dire speed. The green washed concrete surrounded the village proper, a monolith rising twice as high as the tallest building in view. In his race to main gate of Konoha Shikamaru had a sudden, vivid flashback to when he was still just a brat with a runny nose. He had been out for a walk with his father and back then had pointed out the massive wall's ridiculous appearance to his father. "It's too big for our village," he informed his dad, "You can't even see the trees outside." Shikato had only looked thoughtfully at the walls and said to his son, "That's because, Shikamaru, the village needs to be protected from attack."

"That's stupid," he had replied stubbornly with all the wisdom of a six year old, "No one would ever attack our village. It's filled with ninja!" Shikato indulged his son with no more argument and let him think what he liked.

"_I never knew how lucky I was to be a kid during that time,"_ an older and wiser Shikamaru realized. The thirteen year span of life he had before becoming a genin was the longest time of peace Konoha had ever known.

The three chuunin were approaching the main gate rapidly and the wall's vastness seemed to grow with each leap and bound. To the top of the nearest building then in an impossible leap for anyone but a ninja they finally reached the rampart above the gate.

Swirls of fog clung to the long shadows beyond and the in the thick of the old trees. Far below where they stood was the beaten clay path in front of the gate. The humble beginning of the Great Northern road that led to Ota village, then Shikubara, all the way up to Tanza where it eventually met the trade roads into the Lightning and Waterfall Countries.

"Eerie," thought Shikamaru as he noticed the dead silence that surrounded them. Naruto gritted his teeth with impatience and hunched forward leaning over the guardwall's edge. Shikamaru glanced at him noticing for the first time a strange purple mark under his ear.

"What the heck happened to your neck?" he asked. The other nin looked surprised and ran a hand over the spot. "Wow, it hasn't healed yet," he said mildly, "that fox is such a slacker sometimes."

Shikamaru stared harder. "Those look like teeth marks, Naruto."

The blond-nin grinned. "Yeah, Hinata wouldn't stop apologizing."

Shikamaru was sure his look was priceless as Naruto's grin seemed to double.

"Kora! Be quiet you two."

They turned to look as Neji reacted, the Byakugan emerging on his face. Shikamaru strained his senses and after a moment heard the faint tinkling sound of blades meeting in combat. The noise grew and cut off abruptly as a hawk's cry keened sharply above them.. From the inky depths of the shrouded trees appeared a owl-masked man in a silver and black uniform.

"Anbu," breathed Naruto.

The lone masked nin shot towards the village and was joined by others coming from the mists, their fleeting steps were like a swarm of black, shiny dragonflies skimming cross a pond.

In moments the blurred shapes were on top of the wall and moving past three chuunin into the village. One them stopped seeming to coalesce from thin air in front of Shikamaru. Unperterbed, the pony-tailed chuunin tilted his head up. _"I know it's not Raido,"_ he thought, _"probably another squad captain."_

"Take all your teams to the shelters," Shikamaru said giving him orders. "Hold there until we weaken their resolve and beat them out of the village."

Splattered in blood and clearly not his own, the man stood motionless for a bit studying the three young nins. Naruto started grumbling about rude people when the Anbu finally spoke looking at Shikamaru, his voice gravelly and serious.

"We lost two in there on the way out," he said with a pause. "The one who's following is... strong."

The Anbu departed without anymore explanation.

"Well," muttered Shikamaru sarcastically, "that was helpful." The nins leaned forward in anticipation. With the Anbu pulling back into the village it was just a matter of time now. Neji was again the first to spy something.

"I can see them," he said abruptly, "Raido was right. There's a lot of them, but they don't move at all like ninja." His face tightened. "Strange. They are all holding back like they are waiting for something..."

Naruto and Shikamaru waited for Neji to continue and became worried when the genius Hyuga looked confused.

"What's up, Neji, "asked Naruto.

The serious nin looked annoyed. "There's a girl walking towards the gate road. I couldn't see her before for some reason. She's pale and has almost white hair."

"Setsuko!" Naruto exclaimed with a slight tremble to his voice.

Just then a huge explosion came from the eastern part of the village. They all turned to see the massive head of a snake rear up from the dust clouds of it's arrival.

"It's huge," breathed Neji.

Naruto flicked a kunai out of his pack and his chakra expanded with such intensity Shikamaru could see a reddish glow flicker at the edge of his vision.

Using Kyuubi's power Naruto flung the blade into the distance where is hurtled away with unnatural speed. Shikamaru was amazed. He forgot how strong Naruto was sometimes.

"Neji." said Naruto.

"Ahh," Neji said knowingly focusing with his Byakugan. "It's two buildings away from the wall breach."

"_They work well together," _Shikamaru thought.

Naruto turned to look down at the trees in front of the gate and bared his teeth in reflex.

Shikamaru followed his gaze to where a petite girl with long unadorned lavender hair appeared standing passively and staring at the gate.

Naruto placed his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and leaned in as he spoke. " I'll deal with our reptile problem cause I think 'you know who' is there too. Setsuko's dangerous. I've told Neji about her strengthes and weaknesses. All her jutsu are based on eletricity. Make her lose her temper and you've got her. Just watch out for whenever she brings her hands above her head. That's bad."

Shikamaru gave Naruto a dirty look. "Didn't she beat you in the Cloud Village exam?"

Naruto smiled reminiscing. "Yeah, the Raikage had to step in and everything. I'm the reason she got kicked out of her village." The blond nin seemed momentarily distracted as if recalling some fond memory. "Anyway," he said refocusing, "Don't worry! If anyone could take her down it be you guys."

Naruto turned, his hands blurred through a series of seals. "Good luck fellas, " he said winking out of existence.

"_Hiraishin no jutsu,_" thought Shikamaru. It was a technique of Yondaime's that Naruto had rediscovered with Jiraiya-sama only recently. Naruto had just instantly transported almost a half a mile away where his kunai had landed. "He's such a clown," he said, "Then, he pulls some insane jutsu like that."

"Hmph, you should try leading him on a team," said Neji dryly.

The comment made Shikamaru smile as he turned to get another look at their opponent. "She doesn't look so tough," said. "Hey Neji why don't you _henge_ into Naruto and go taunt her. I'll back you up."

"Very funny, Nara."

Just then, the hidden cloud kunoichi's hand shot up. A single kunai flew towards the gate. Konoha's main gate was a massive structure seventy feet high. The wooden planks in its construction were over a foot thick and steel reinforced.

Shikamaru was about to remark about the futility of her attack when he noticed, "Hey, there's a metal thread attached the it."

The roar was deafening.

Instinct drove Shikamaru to duck and cover as black smoke enfolded him. Taking conscious hold of himself, he reached up gingerly to peer back over the guardwall. They view was filled with smoldering debris and a jagged split now ran between the buckled hinges of the gateposts.

A shout went up from the trees as the mercenaries and sound ninja charged out to attack the gateless village. In response, Shikamaru stood up and threw a half a dozen shuriken at the approaching mass. The projectiles coursed toward their targets before veering off harmlessly.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed. "Did she do something?"

Setsuko's head tilted up. She was staring right at him.

"Just my luck," he sighed. There was a flash of metal._ "Did she throw a weapon?"_ he thought desperately. _"So fast... I didn't see her hands move." _

Shikamaru felt a grip on his collar as Neji dragged him up in the air to exscape. A kunai landed soundly in the spot where Shikarmaru had been, it's hook-ring tied with a fine metal thread. This close to it now he felt his hair stand up as the surge came. Shielding his eyes against the coming explosion he muttered in a mimicking voice, "'If anyone could take her down it be you guys' ...screw you Naruto."

Deep within the village still far from the early fighting Tsunade quietly exited from a hidden door to the rear of her formal residence. She had hidden for so long she was sure she had fooled everyone. _"Everthing is in place," _she told herself, _"I need to be ready when he arrives." _

Tsunade crossed her arms in annoyance when she sensed the presence of others near her. Placing hands on hips she was expectant as two Anbu materialized from a swirl of leaves already in deep bows of apology.

"Excuse us, Hokage-sama, " said the shorter, stockier man who wore a bear mask. "Raido told us you would be here."

"I said no escort."

The taller Anbu broke in, "Raido-san thought it best to have someone stationed here. Hokage-sama, we were very careful. No one.."

Tsunade watched in horror as the top half of man was ripped off his body. A spray of blood hit her in the face, blinding her as she heard a gurgling moan come from the man next to him.

She jumped a step back wiping the blood from her eyes. Where her Anbu had been now standing over the two fallen bodies was a monster she had swore she'd seen die.

"Hoshigami Kisame," she spat like a curse.

The Sameheda made a metallic thud as it came to rest on Kisame's shoulder. The former Atasuki gave an inhuman smile.

"_Sashiburidana_, Tsunade," he said pleasantly. "Don't be surprised. That little medical-nin girl you have pretending to be you up in Suzurimura is still fooling everyone. It's just someone like me who's tasted your blood before would never be fooled."

Tsunade was silent as the memory of their battle three years ago came back. It was when she had been sure she killed Itachi. _"And watched Gai die,"_ she thought bitterly.

"I see that your fear of blood's still gone, which is good," the half-shark nin said as pointed teeth appeared in his smile. "That way no one can say I cheated when I bagged my second Kage."

Tsunade held herself ready. "This is bad," she thought, "I'll need all of my chakra for my next battle. I'll be too weak after fighting Kisame." The decision was out of her hands, she couldn't let him run unchecked in her village.

"Come on bastard," she growled, "bring it."

Kisame dashed forward drawing his sawtoothed blade before him. Tsunade was prepared to dodge when she suddenly recognized a flash of green.

"Konoha Senpuu."

Kisame was thrown backward as Lee's spinning kick caught him cross the face. Landing lightly on his feet, Tsunade's bodyguard stood confident before her in his signature pose, holding his right palm flat and raised to his opponent.

"Lee, I..." began Tsunade trying to explain. Rock Lee had been sent north with the rest of the delgation to the Raikage. Shizune used a seal enhanced henge-no-jutsu to hold Tsunade's appearance for the trip. Fooling everyone, only Raido, as her Anbu captain, Kakashi and Naruto knew the truth.

The tall young man with the bowl haircut kept his eyes focused on his opponent. Giving the Hokage a big thumbs up and his toothy, 'nice-guy' smile, Lee said, "I'll always be there to save you Hokage-sama. It's my duty as your number one bodyguard."

Tsunade couldn't help, but feel relief at Rock Lee's arrival, but as she saw Kisame's getting up and casually brushing himself off her dread returned. _"He's can defeat him by himself,"_ she realized,_ "together maybe we can end this quickly."_

Tsunade was trying figure out a plan when she heard Lee clear his throat. It was always his way to get her atttention politely.

"You have somewhere else to be, right Hokage-sama?" he asked. "Please leave this man to me."

"No, Lee," Tsunade argued, "he's too strong..."

"Hokage-sama," Lee said in a rare interruption, "I thought we could try 'that' jutsu I had asked you create for me."

Tsunade's brow furrowed. _"It might work...," she thought, "still it'd be tough for him, just maybe...he's right we all have things to do."_

"Done plotting over there yet?" taunted Kisame appearing bored.

Tsunade threw away her hesitation. Her hands flickered through a series of seals and she intoned softly, "_Tanuki Ransui no Jutsu._" _(Fake Drunkness Techinique)_

"_I'm not very strong in genjutsu," _she admitted to herself. Fortunately the skill didn't require that much chakra. Tsunade she drew away to leave. "Lee, I expect you to finish this bastard," she ordered him with fierce nod.

The _Tanuki Ransui_ was taking effect and Lee hiccuped, "_Ryou-kai_! Tsunaaaa-desama!"

Kisame watched the Hokage's Shushin techinique carry her away in the swirl of leaves. "I'll catch up with her," he thought, "This boy looks just like that Gai."

Kisame then saw that his opponent was swaying where he stood. In disbelief, he asked, "Oi, gaki! You drunk?"

Lee's face scrunched up as he began to scream, "Chigau, chigau, chigau! I'm fake drunk!.fake, fake, fake..." The self-proclaimed 'green beast' cut off suddenly collapsing to the ground.

Kisame took a curious step forward bringing the Sameheda off his shoulder when he heard a loud snore rip from the kid lying on the ground. He grit his teeth as he suddenly felt like he was being taken seriously.

"You remind me of Maito Gai," he said darkly, "Let's see if you bleed the way he did."

Naruto slipped into reality again as his jutsu brought him to the place his kunai had landed near the attack of the snake. He was still amazed at Yondaime's techniques which he and Jiraiya had puzzled out of a special scroll the Fourth had left before he died. Jiraiya had said only someone with Kyuubi's power could open it. The jutsu it contained were beyond imagination like _Hiraishin no jutsu._

A spray of dust hit Naruto as he felt a vast shadow pass over him in the billlowing smoke. The approaching form revealed a man standing on the head of a giant, indigo-colored snake. His face obscured by bandages, his height, build and short spiky black hair were all different, but those malevolent eyes belonged to only one man.

"Orochimaru and Manda," called out Naruto. "Welcome to Konoha! So nice of you to return and visit."

Orochimaru crossed his arms smugly. "You and Jiraiya seem to share the same stupid humor."

The snake's hiss was like a lion's roar. "Orochimaru," said Manda, "I will take this one like we agreed."

"I don't have time to waste with you, Kyuubi-_gaki_," Orochimaru said. "Even if you avoid getting eaten by Manda here you'll soon have to deal with that Itachi when he arrives." The evil sannin dissolved as with his serpent-skin escape jutsu.

Naruto was pleased, Tsunade's plan was going perfectly. _"Show's what you know," _Naruto thought_, "Look's like he doesn't know about Sasuke."_

His smug look slipped as a massive tail slashed down at him. He dodged instantly moving to the next building to watch as the blow leveled the house he has stood on as well as the one behind it.

"_Of course I still have Manda to deal with,"_ he thought wryly.

The king of snakes rose up to stare balefully at his tiny opponent. "I've always wanted to know what fox tasted like," Manda rasped.

Naruto set his feet wide as he prepared himself. He had to end this quickly or the half the village would be flattened.

"Keep those beady eyes open you oversized garter snake," Naruto shouted, "The things I can do you're only going to see once in your lifetime."

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: Yay! Quick-for-me update! 


	29. Hidden Strength

A/N:

Tadaima!

Wow, look at the last update time, gomen...

I kind of gave up on this fic cause while the plot was good, I felt my writing wasn't improving. I also decided to focus on grad school. Just recently I took a leave of absence and was all focused on my full-time job when I realized how bored I was again. My sister said to me when I complained about this, "Why don't you write anymore? And whatever happened to that Naruto fanfic?"

So here we are.

This fic is definitely AU compared to where the Naruto manga is, however all pre-skip canon is still honored.

I've added a couple original character antagonists for fodder. Some people hate OCs, but without them you're killin' off real characters and personally I hate doing that.

Matsuri, Daichi, and Futaba were actually pictured as academy students in volume 11, chapter 94 of the manga. I know, I know... more characters at this point is bad, but I will try to be descriptive without cutting down pace. (pace? what pace?)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

Japanese fun: _Hayai!_ - "so fast!"; _kusogaki_ - "dirty brat"; _Suge!_ - "Awesome!"; _Anata-tachi - _"You guys"

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

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Chapter 29 – Hidden Strength 

The clouded skies molted with a pale sunlight that crept through to the sodden earth below. Under such a sky, Tenten surveyed the desolate village street she waited on. Dappled shadows and slate colored puddles giving it the appearance of sleepy daybreak even though she knew it to be closer to midday.

"_I've been lucky,"_ she thought relieved. The team she had been given for this mission was composed of a rookie genin squad only a year out of the academy. Their jounin sensei, Suzume, had gone as part of the escort to old Sound Country and so their little unit was kept in tact under her command.

Despite the dangers they faced Tenten was pleased with their discipline. In fact, it called to mind thoughts of her own genin team. The nostalgic memories of dealing with her two fiercely competitive teammates and her cracked-pot sensei made her wistful for the moment.

"_Ninja die all the time,"_ she scolded herself, yet the loss of Gai, even after two years still left an emptiness. Even now her eyes began to sting at the edges as there were tears left to spent.

"Tenten-sensei, I think they're done," came an insistent voice at her shoulder.

Tenten cast her dour mood aside turning to an auburn-haired kunoichi near her in height Matsuri Hana, a girl almost woman who carried herself with a long-limbed grace. Hana .looked very bored as she stifled a yawn in Tenten's face. An arrogant gesture that was all part of her confident persona Tenten had come to realize quickly. This girl was clearly the leader on this team which was a rarity. Kunoichi usually took a supporting role, but it had been obvious from the start that she had the other two in check.

Hana's thick hair was tied in a multiple braids and was held back by her forehead protector. The tawny locks framed her face like a lion's mane and gave her an appearance which matched well with what Tenten had heard about the Matsuri clan's fiery nature. They were famous in Konoha for their taijutsu style, a specialized form of grappling.

The other two members of the team, Mitokado Futaba and Akimichi Daichi appeared stealthily as they crept along the walls back to her position from the other end of the deserted street. The massive green-painted guardwall of Konoha loomed behind them marking the end of the first part of their mission. Motionless and waiting for her signal Tenten gave them a curt nod of approval to return.

"_So far so good Shikamaru," _Tenten thought. His plan was for each team to cover an area to cover. First laying it with traps, then after the enemy was crushed, snared or blown up, capitalizing on that advantage.

"_Making the attacker bleed for each step of ground they gained,"_ she thought with grim satisfaction.

Tenten watched the boys trot back over as she noted their differences again. Daichi's size marked him as an Akimichi with his ninja pouches sprouting candy bars instead of kunai, yet Tenten felt his temperment closer to someone like Kiba than his cousin, the good-natured behemoth she was familiar with. She wondered if it had anything to do with Choji's preference for salty snacks versus his cousin's obvious sweeth tooth. The second boy, Futaba was shorter than both his teammates and sparrow thin. Even in summer he had a long scarf wrapped around his neck and a wool beret on his head. With his freckled cheeks and thick, black-framed glassed Tenten could see a slight resemblance to his grandfather, Homura Mitokado. Homura, a village elder, had once been an elite jounin and a comrade of Sandaime as a genin. If Futaba felt any of the weight from such a legacy none of it showed. The boy had barely said two words so far and appeared distracted if anything else.

"Yosh! Trap laying mission completed! " Tenten said energetically as they walked up, "Good job team!" However, looking at her team turned her cheer to frown, She distinctly noted their lack of response to her 'genki-sensei' demeanor.

Matsuri stretched her arms above her head yawning again in that leonine fashion. The girl's shoulder muscles cracking as her arms dropped back down. "Are we done here, Tenten-sensei?" she asked in bored tone. Daichi tossed a candy wrapper to the breeze and added to Matsuri's complaints. "Are you sure this is A ranked, sensei?" Futaba had taken out a small book that appeared to be a beginners' guide to explosion seals and his response was a mere tap of his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. This too was a gesture of annoyance that she had learned to read long ago from Aburame Shino.

Tenten grit her teeth as she vividly recalled giving Gai this same type of grief not so long ago. This had to be divine punishment.

"_Well, we're safe for the moment, so maybe it's time I really play sensei here," she thought._

"Ok, Hana, Daichi, Futaba," she said brusquely, "Why does a ninja lay traps?"

Giving her weird looks the three traded glances with each other before Hana as expected took the lead.

"Simple. Ninja lay traps if they're weaker than their enemies," she answered. "Cause they can't go head on in fight."

Daichi nodded vigorously. "Traps are used by weak ninja to escape," he added while popping the last bit of candy bar in his mouth, "or to set up an ambush, that's it."

Tenten was about to respond when Futaba cleared his throat. "They are an effective strategy for offensive as well as defense," said the young genin who appeared diminutive next to his teammates. "They can decide the outcome of a battle before it even begins."

Hana shifted her stance to loom at him better. "So, you're saying that you being a little bomb freak could beat me in a fight?"

Futaba looked unimpressed. He returned his attention back to the still open book in his hands. "And who asked who for help against Suzume-sensei in the bell test," he retorted mildly.

Daichi started to laugh as Hana snarled her. Clearly Futaba has scored a win and Tenten gained a little more insight into their team dynamics.

"_They seem pretty well balanced," she thought._

"You are all somewhat correct, but you missed the point of the question," she told them. "All ninja techniques -ninjustu, taijutsu, genjutsu- are used to complete the mission. For a mission to be successful a ninja must survive." She searched their faces as she continued, "Running head first into a battle is a sure-fire way to getting killed. A ninja rarely knows the strength or jutsu of their opponent beforehand. Using traps can be one way to discover their weaknesses or create openings. And no one is strong enough avoid using traps, not even the Hokage."

Tenten saw the small glimmer of recognition from all of them as she ended, which made her happy. Pursuing her dream to become a jounin she also found the idea of training a rookie genin team equally appealing.

It was past time for them to return to the rendevous point. Tenten turned to pick up the large weapons scroll she always kept with her when a metallic glint teased at the corner of her vision. She flinched backward as a shuriken sunk deep into the ground where she had just stood.

"Scatter," she yelled as she dodged away from the whistle of more approaching projectiles. Looking upward as she moved she spied a foreign ninja standing on a roofledge above them. He was a pale, slender boy who appeared only a little older than her genin charges. The placement of his pouches and the symbol on the forehead protector tied loosely round his neck named him from Hidden Cloud Village.

A wicked smile spread on his face. "Looks like you leaf ninja are still good at running away," he sneered.

Tenten stopped to stare._ "I know him," she realized._ Draped over the cloud nin's left shoulder was a short cloak of muted grey that glittered with a pattern of forked lightningbolts stitched in metallic thread. His right arm was bare and sleeveless to the shoulder revealing a jagged thunderbolt tattooed in black over his bicep. The hair framing his narrow face seemed the palest blue and was parted down the middle with it's right side gathered into a single braid.

"Arashi Hikaru," Tenten said in recognition as she now noted the long horizontal scratch on his forehead protector, "so now you are an escaped-nin from Hidden Cloud Village working for Orochimaru."

Hikaru grinned at hearing his name. "A proud member of the Arashi clan would never stoop to working for a half-dead snake like him," he said. "Onei-sama is going to finally fry that stupid fox boy who embarrassed us in front of the Raikage."

Tenten could vividly recall her time in Lightning Country where she first met Hikaru. She and Rock Lee had travelled up to the Hidden Village of the Clouds meeting Naruto with Jiraiya for a second chance at the Chuunin exam. There they had faced off against many cloud-nins including Setsuko who had come as close to killing Naruto as Tenten thought anyone could.

"That psychopath Setsuko must have escaped from her village," Tenten thought, "and taken her brother too." The Raikage was also Setsuko's father and had been blind to her vicious nature, until in the Chuunin arena in front of all of Hidden Cloud village she killed two examiners to get at Naruto. The Raikage had no choice left then, but to imprison his daughter.

Hikaru pulled another kunai from the holster on his leg. "My sister should have killed you all a long time ago," he said darkly. "We've come to fix that."

Tenten gave her wrists a quick twist and a kunai slid out each sleeve to her ready hands. She waited for his attack when suddenly, a large fuuma-style shuriken flew up from the side. Tenten turrned to see it's owner, a fiercely smiling Hana, staring up at her target.

"I told you stay back!" Tenten hollered at the girl. Hana's eagerness to fight appeared coupled with a reluctance to obey as she remained in place to watch her strike. Yet, her look of sureness faded. Hikaru gazing down at her calmly remaining motionless as the windmill blade slicing toward him flew away wildly.

Hana jaw dropped. The blade passing wide of its target seemed to be drawn back by some unseen force circling around the cloud nin to whip back at the leaf genin. A boomerang effect that gave it deadly speed.

"Daichi!" Tenten yelled throwing the two kunai in her hands at the oncoming threat. The small knives were deflected away by the heavier weapon causing only a slight wobble in its course, but it was enough. Daiichi charged into street tackling his teammate just out of harm's way as the fuuma shuriken passed over them. With a metallic clang it impacted into the wall behind them sinking deep into the brickface.

Tenten allowed herself a moment of relief at Hana's escape, but grimaced as she knew the skill behind Hikaru's ability. The Arashi clan were heir to a bloodline technique called _Denkouhada_ (Electric Skin) that allowed them to control and increase the electric impulses created naturally in their bodies. Like electric eels they could shock their opponents with just a touch or some like Hikaru could make magnetic fields that could attract and repel iron. It was a deadly counter for a ninja who specialized in using steel weapons. A ninja like herself.

She slipped a kunai with an explosion tag wrapped around its tang out of her hip pouch and threw it deftly at the roofledge on which the cloud nin stood. It exploded as it met it's target causing her opponent to leap down to the street. He landed only a dozen meters away from her as smoking tiles fell in ruin around them.

Hikaru gave her a smug look. "You want me closer," he said reading her intent. "Few are foolish enough to fight an Arashi in close quarters." he brought up a hand that crackled with a static charge for emphasis.

_"Close enough so you can't easily use your magnetic tricks," Tenten thought, "and far enough so I can dodge those hands of yours. You're exactly where I want you."_

"Let's see about that," she told him with a twist of a smile. A deadly silence descended between the kunoichi and her adversary, a moment in eternity that passed unmeasured. Without warning each was a blur of movement.. Tenten pulled kunai and senbon from hip pouches, holsters, sheaves in her clothes, even hidden in her hair, launching then in a steady stream at Hikaru.

Hikaru's cloak fluttered wide as he swept it out with his covered arm in front of him. Unfurled the cloak's fabric spiraled into a stiffened shield. Tenten's onslaught was repelled each blade falling away with a clash that sounded like scraping metal. Tenten was unphased as she kept the onslaught constant.

Hana, Futaba and Daichi had hid from the fray behind some barrels and watched on in awe. Futaba leaned forward staring with an absorbed intensity. "Twenty-one...thirty-two...forty," he muttered aloud keeping track of their captain's barrage.

"_Hayai_...," breathed Daichi his eyes also glued to the scene.

Tenten's right hand sprouted her last three kunai while her other hand slipped to a scroll pouch on the front of her jacket. Hikaru sensed the pause and charged forward his cloak still shielding him. Tenten whipped her arm back and forth cross her body releasing her last kunai as her other hand brought the scroll to her lips, her teeth snagging at the scroll's knot.

Hikaru covered the ground between them with blazing speed causing.Hana to catch her breath in alarm. "There was no way for Tenten-sensei to use her scroll in time," the genin thought. The enemy bent low in close and as his cloak came away it revealed his tattooed arm brandishing a large hook-bladed kunai.

"Tenten-sensei!" Hana cried out.

The cloud-nin's face showed confusion as his weapon met only air. Looking up frantically he saw Tenten in the air above him. She had vaulted high over him when he attacked and was piked in the air. As her body opened to layout in its descent she tossed her final kunai at him forcing him to scramble out of harm's way. In her other hand the scroll came loose. Dragging her open palm over it's surface in a smooth, quick motion. Long, black kunai materializing from each smoking seal that she activated with her touch, her fingers deftly catching each hook ring.

Tenten landed on the ground lightly as her spent scroll, blank and white, fluttered away on the breeze. She faced her opponent once again bristling with artillery.

"Suge!" cheered Hana.

_"'Suge' she's says," thought Tenten dryly, "it's not 'suge' when he blocks everything." _She gripped the kunai in her hands tightly as she hoped her next plan yielded better results.

Hikaru seemed unflustered as he nonchalantly brushed away the dust from his cloak. "I'll admit you're fast," he said, "but those pathetic weapons' attacks of yours won't pierce my Koushi Manto (steel thread cloak). All it takes is for me to charge it with a little of my chakra and the cloth stiffens to steel armor."

He brought a hand up covered with static electricity. "I won't just wait and defend this time," Hikaru menaced as he then dashed toward her.

Tenten looked grim as she leaped high in the air whipping all her kunai at him in a single volley. Hikaru smugly brought his cloak up, its folds once again becoming rigid. He appeared almost indulgent as he waited for her attack to be again repelled.

His eyes widened in shock. The kunai, strangely long and black, punched through his perfect defense. He fell with a cry, twisting his limbs to avoid the sharp blades that targeted his vital points now unguarded. His confidence ran with the blood that trickled in rivulets from his body to the ground. Fear has replaced arrogance as Tenten faced him once again on the ground, her hands sprouting more of that black artillery.

"These are specialized armor-piercing kunai I designed," Tenten said holding up her hand, "each is five times heavier than a regular kunai and the points are made from cast iron, which has a duller edge but holds a point better than steel. " She smiled coldly. "You underestimated me." The cloud-nin remained slient and grit his teeth in frustrated defeat.

Tenten quickly weighed her options now she had a prisoner. "It will be difficult to move with him," she thought, "but if Setsuko is here he could be valuable."

It was then she noticed a thick white mist form at the far end of the street behind her genin trio. It had an unnatural feel to it that aroused her suspicions.

"And it's coming closer," she said aloud as it seemed to lurch forward. "Get to higher ground," she yelled to her team.

Tenten's gaze had shifted away from Hikaru for but an instant. Seeing the opening he struggled to rip loose his pinned cloak from its snares.

"It's over!" she yelled as he tossed a pair of her kunai at him.

A hale of senbon melted out the mist's opaque white. The needles knocking away her attack as their owner lay hidden from sight. More senbon emerged forced Tenten to dodge desperately.

The unnatural fog now seemed to stretch out as if to claw at her in escape. When it got close Tenten felt all her hair begin to stand on end. "It's charged with electricity as well," she thought as she made a quick handspring and another leap backwards. "That means... Hikaru!"

As Tenten landed on the ground, her original opponent was waiting for her.

"Good night, bitch," he sneered while sending up a sharp rising kick at her prone form. Unready to block the blow it caught Tenten under the chin with a vicous force that flipped her in the air.

Her body slapped into the damp earth delivering a wet hot pain that spread under her skin. Not able to move, Tenten felt something yank her hair tightly and she was wrenched to her knees. Cold steel pressed against her throat as she watched the owner of the mist jutsu exit his now fading creation.

"I forgot about your brother," Tenten said stiffly to her captor as she swallowed the blood fillng her mouth.

"Huh," said an amused Hikaru, as he yanked her head back to grin at her. "Oi, Yuki!" he called out. "This woman said she forgot about you!"

Arashi Yukimaru was the identical twin of Hikaru and the designated "older" brother of the pair. Like his sibling, Yukimaru are had a _koushi manto_ (iron thread cloak) drapped over half his body and his hair parted with one side in a braid. Yet, he was a mirror image to his twin with braid and bare limb situated on his left side. This pale nin's hair was a ghostly lavender shade and the black outline of rolling clouds was tattooed along his arm.

"I'm surprised she gave you so much trouble Hikaru,"

"Retreat and regroup," Tenten called out to her genins, "that's an order."

Hana and the boys stood their ground. "Sorry, sensei," said Daichi with a strangely cheerful grin on his face, "We can't do that."

"Agreed," said Futaba adjusting his spectacles with a finger, "Our team's chances for mission success drops to an unacceptable level without your inclusion."

"Yeah," Hana yelled, "whatever four-eyes said. Besides it's time team Suzume showed off some of it's super 'leet skills."

"Looks like you get your wish, little brother," said Yukimaru in a emotionless, cold-blooded manner.

Tenten felt her stomach clench as she saw what the kids were going to attempt. "Anata-tachi! I said..." she began to shout as a vicous tug of her hair cut her off.

"That's enough out of you," said Hikaru gripping her collar. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."

The three genins sprang out from their defensive position to array in front of Yukimaru.

"Alright," Hana said while staring down her foe, "Let's show him Hanafuda combo number thirty-six!"

"Yosh-sha!" hollered a fiery Daichi who brought his hands together to form a seal.

"Hmph," smirked Futaba. "Agreed."

The cloud nin's eyes tightened with anticipation. "Tatakoi" he said.

Futaba was the first to act launching himself high in the air. At the peak of his jump a shower of smoke pellets flew from his hand creating a screen to hide his teammates. A rumbling sound came from the murkiness and soon a large green sphere burst out of the cover.

_"Nikudan sensha," thought Tenten, "Choji's technique."_ It appeared to be in his cousin's arsenal as well.

Yukimaru dodged as Daichi rolled through. "Too slow fatty," he sneered. Whipping out a kunai he appeared ready to counter when a tight grip on his wrist forced his hand to drop it.

Hana had slipped from the smoke up behind Yukimaru in his distraction. Wrapping her arms around his waist in a practiced movement, she caught each of his arms high at the wrist and pulled them crossed over each other in a straight jacket style armbar. Yukimaru grit his teeth as he struggled vainly, quickly noticing the shimmer of chakra around her hands.

"It's useless!" Hana told him. "Nothing can break my grip once I've locked it."

Tenten was impressed. The Matsuri clan members supposedly used chakra to increase the strength of their grappling. It was said that their "locking" techique bound their opponents through the flesh to the very bone beneath. Now Yukimaru had a better chance of ripping his arm out of its socket before getting away for Hana's grasp.

Hana's feet were set wide apart as she hunched down putting her shoulder into the middle of her opponent's back while the charge of chakra glittered briefly at the soles of her feet. "It's over!" she exclaimed. "Hissatsu! Matsuri-nage, Piledriver!" (Finishing Blow! Matsuri grappling technique – Piledriver!)

Yukimaru was whipped backwards, the vulnerable back of his neck on collision course with the hard packed earth.

"She did it," Tenten breathed as they hit down.

"Look closer," a Hikaru's voice whispered into her ear.

Tenten stared hard then her eyes widened as she understood what she saw.

Yukimaru's head hovered a few inches above the ground. His flight to demise had been halted by his own cloak, also a koushi manto. The mantle had charged to iron stiffness even in it crumpled state as it had tossed over his head. Hana wasn't admitting defeat as her entire body and face visibly strained with an effort to overcome the steel cloth.

"Well, well," said Yukimaru mildly, "now that was close. Ok then, let's show you my techniques." The rogue cloud-nin fingertips lit up with static energy. "First we charge the hands, then..." A sharp crackling explosion split the air and Hana cried out rolling away from Yukimaru in a smoky ruin.

"Iie! Hana!" Tenten began to yell as Hikaru shut her up with yet another yank.

The elder Arashi stood up brushing himself off as he looked over to see his handiwork. Hana's eyes were open as she lay there gasping raggedly. Mastering control of the pain she push herself up on hands and knees awkwardly.

"Oh," said Yukimaru with a smile, "aren't you the tough one." He stalked towards her. "I can fix that."

_"She can't recover in time," Tenten thought_. The chuunin captain wrenched at the hold on her neck, barely feeling the knife edge pressed to near bleeding against her skin.

Yukimaru was almost upon her when five kunai each tied with a sizzling explosion tag encircled Hana.The cloud-nin sprang away to avoid the blast. As tags flared up as small figure jumped into their midst. Futaba had made his move and came to help Hana up as the now obvious fake tags spurted out innocently.

"Tricky," commented Hikaru looking bemused, " Very tricky... I knew you Leafs couldn't sacrifice one of your own.".

Her genins were trying their best, but Tenten knew she had to do something. It was only a matter of time until the twins overwhelmed them. She desperately tried to think of ways to escape her captor. "Hikaru is immature," she thought, "leaving me alive this way, if only I could get to my seal scrolls..." Tenten lost her train of thinking as a warm, wet something dripped slowing on her fingertips. In her anxiety she had bit her lip so hard it bled and was now dripping down her chin.

Daichi, who had ended his meat tank jutsu when Hana was injured, moved to stand with his teammates. The three genin looked grim as their strategy had been foiled.

"What," Yukimaru asked. "No more numbered combo moves? Alright then, now it's my turn," he declared bringing his hands together to form a seal, "My apologies in advance. I don't count my jutsu, only the number of enemies I've killed."

A rumbling sound trembled from the earth and the ninja, leaf and cloud alike, looked around with wary eyes. Suddenly, a shredding chasm broke from the ground snaking its way towards Yukimaru. To avoid the spreading furrow the cloud-nin retreated back to stand with his brother. Meanwhile, Tenten's gaze tracked the broken earth to it's source and there relief filled her eyes.

"Sakura," Tenten exclaimed.

Cherry blossom hair tossing lightly in the breeze she rose from where she had bent for her attack. Sakura's index finger was still extended as she stood, hinting at the impossible technique she had just performed. Trained by Tsunade herself, Sakura mastering not only medical jutsu, but also the precise and deadly art of focusing her chakra to tremendous power.

A dark expression clouded the kunoichi's face and her eyes sparkled with such emerald fury that Tenten felt a chill tickle down her spine. Teamed with her for so long Tenten could read the other woman as well as she could either of her former companions on team Gai.

"Sakura's not going hold anything back," she thought, "That means she's alone without backup ... and also... she's afraid for..." Tenten couldn't even complete the thought as embarrassment lent warmth to her face. Even in the face of death, the idea that Sakura would be worried about her injured her pride somehow.

"Oi, kusogaki" spat Sakura. "I think it's time you left my village." Raising her gloved fist she finished, "I won't forgive you if you try anything else."

The cloud-nins appeared unimpressed. "I've heard about Tsunade's apprentice," sneered Yukimaru "You're medical skills are supposedly top-notch, but I've never heard about your fighting ability... Putting holes in the ground doesn't make you Hokage."

Tenten felt Hikaru's grip on her collar and the razor sharp blade hovering at her throat, but her concerns were elsewhere as looked over at her genins. "I hope they're far enough away..." she thought, "when this one gets serious it's never pretty." Tenten understood that the reason Sakura never used her full strength. As a medic she saw it as a waste of chakra, yet there was another reason. The extreme destruction she caused made it so that neither friend nor foe were safe in close quarters.

Yukimaru appeared relaxed as. he crossed his arms. "Like he's waiting for something," thought Tenten. On cue, a massive chunk of rubble appeared overhead and with vicious speed shot towards Sakura. Tenten squeezed her eyes shut as it impacted into the ground. Opening them quickly she saw only a concrete slab just where Sakura had been.

Tenten couldn't see her anywhere. Just above her she heard Hikaru say, "Guess she was all talk. See Yuki, told you..." then Hikaru's words died on his lips.

Sakura strolled slowly into view around the slab's side. Idly, she dragged a fingertip along it and now sported the nicest of smiles. "You were warned," she said sweetly.

Sakura's sliding finger stopped and a sound like pouring grain hissed in the air. The stone that had targeted her crumbled to dust underneath that same finger..

The twins glanced at each other in concern. "Gouki," Yukimaru cried, "Kill her."

On a nearby rooftop from the same direction as where the last attack had come from appeared yet a third adversary. Unlike the twins this enemy was a mountain of a man in both height and girth. Tenten had never seen a ninja his like before.

"He makes Choji look normal-sized, " she thought. His cold dark eyes were flat colored like the metal of his forehead protector. This ninja appeared to be a rogue cloud-nin as well and his impassive gaze was fixed on Sakura.. His weapon of choice appeared to be a large metal staff that he twirled lazily in his hands. At second glance Tenten decided it to be more like a double-ended club than a staff as she noted it's studded mace-like ends.

"I've heard about the famous strength of the Leaf's woman kage," the nin's deep voice bellowed. "Let's see if this little imitation of her can show me a demonstration."

Gouki stopped his twirling staff sharply slamming it down with a thunderous peal. A moment later a. hairline crack jagging down the side of the building's wall on which he stood.

A cold sweat broke on Tenten's face. "It must be solid steel," she thought with disbelief, "that makes it over 300 pounds." Sakura was about to face a monster.

Sakura's eyes had never left Yukimaru. "I won't repeat myself," she said icily.

Gouki's face lit with rage as he realized what was happening. "Ignore me will you!" he roared. The giant launched himself in the air bringing his clubbed staff overhead with a booming warcry. Sakura deftly slipped a single kunai out of her holster as her gaze remained unflinching on Yukimaru.

"A kunai can't defend against that," Tenten thought frantically, "How can she..."

The massive cloud-nin's bludgeon swept down as Sakura's kunai flew up to meet it in a fluid sweep of her arm.. The mismatched weapons clashed as they connected, but as they did Gouki's face filled with wonder. His staff, a weapon weighing hundreds of pounds spun lightly from his grasp. Unarmed and off-guard, the giant's feet began to touch down as Sakura twisted around bringing her left palm to strike Gouki's chest.

Tenten felt her face go slack as she witnessed the result. The massive nin's body seemed to ball up around the point of impact flying backwards, his arms and legs flopping in his wake like a comet's tail. The force of the blow threw him spine first through the cracked wall he had created moments ago, punching through the structure where it collapsed over him in dust and rubble.

It was all over in seconds. Sakura's gaze had never left Yukimaru.

"Next," she said with soft menace.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

A/N: 

I'm out of practice so please forgive my poor writing!

As the background for all this I created my OCs, Setsuko and her twin brothers, as Naruto-haters. They and Naruto have a "history" together from a previous showdown in Lightning Country. I even thought up a whole side story where Tenten, Lee and Naruto participate in a Cloud Village Chuunin exam. I'll probably never write that, which is a shame cause I did draft one amazing fight for Tenten in it. Oh Well!


	30. Bait

A/N: I did mention I was out of practice? Good news I'm stuck in a hotel in Florida with free internet!

Here's another chapter to resurrect this story. Also, I have a frightening number of grammer mistakes in my older chapters, I'm so sorry!

Enjoy!

Japanese Fun: _Saa_ - "Now"; _Haiyaku!_ - "Hurry!" or "Quickly!" (Note: this is the same root as _haiyai_); _Baka_ - "Idiot";

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

* * *

Chapter 30 – Bait 

The shock of their comrade's quick defeat by Sakura lay stark on Hikaru and Yuki's faces. They had thought to have avoided stronger opponents when they snuck into the village away from the Sound main assault force.

Tenten's eyes narrowed with concentration as she decided to capitalize on the opening. She had purposely bit deeper into her bleeding lip to increase the blood flow. The steady drip fell to her hands that lay flat in the dirt were she knelt under guard by Hikaru. Blood was the medium for inking many types of seals and Tenten as a weapons specialist had signed tens of thousands into being. During Sakura's fight she had lightly traced a seal into ground, a pattern her's hands knew without needing her eyes to follow.

As Tenten heard her captor's breath his breath catch at the scene before him she also felt his grip slacken and the kunai held at against the skin of her throat fall away. She recognized this unconscious fear, this irrepressible desire to flee. Hikaru's stance had to shifted away from her if only slightly like he'd forgotten she was there.

"Your mistake," she thought.

Slamming her head back she felt it impact solidly with Hikaru's chin. The grip and the hand holding the kunai fell away completely. She slid hands together on the earth and released the chakra necessary to charge her seal, then rolled forward on her shoulder, twisting to meet her opponent.

Tenten had performed this all in breath's time, yet even as she turned still kneeling she faced an enraged Hikaru.

He yelled charging forward, "Where do you think you're going, you...".

Tenten's smiled with cold satisfaction as his foot made contact with her seal.

"_Baka_," she said with a grin.

Hikaru heard the hum of the release and had no time to looked down as kunai materialized to slash up at him from the seal trap Tenten had set.

The ring of steel passing through flesh was drowned by Hikaru's cry of pain. Yukimaru's tore his eyes from Sakura to spring to his brother's aid. Tenten too jumped away to move to a safer distance. She was pleased, yet unsurprised when her three brave genin jumped in front ready to defend her retreat.

Yukimaru scanned the opponents in front of him as he shouldered Hikaru. The tables had turned and he grimaced as he saw Sakura step forward.

"Shit," he muttered.

"Brother," Hikaru moaned at his side.

Yuki looked into his twin's eyes and seeing their intent nodded. Intertwining the fingers of his left hand with Hikaru's right, the cloud-nins deftly swiped blood over each of their tattooed arms.

Moving in unison the twins slapped their free hands down to the ground.

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu!"_ (Summoning technique)

Tenten shied her eyes at the smoke and dust that billowed up as the summoning was performed. It thinned to reveal a writhing mass of giant centipedes, arm thick and blood red that spilled writhing toward them.

She looked to her large seal scroll still lying against the wall where she'd left it. As she did so Sakura moved in front of them in blur of motion so quick that she seemed to materialize out of thin air.

Her hands were filled with seals, but as her chakra built Tenten could tell what was coming. The once apprenctice of Tsunade was now employing her other gift, a skill in which she surpassed even the Hokage. Sakura's form seems to swirl out of existence as the body of any genjutsu user always did to an observer.

Tenten heard her voice echo around her and her team.

"_Magen Shounsetsu Machi!"_ (Demonic Illusion: Inferno Road)

Tenten knew it was just illusion, however the wave of fierce heat that washed over her felt terribly real. She heard Hana cry out as the girl shied from the blinding wall that of flame that sprang in front of them.

The illusion's affect was felt by the summoned creatures as well. The centipedes' advance had halted and the swarm seem to retreat from the blaze. As the insects fell back the line of fire moved to ring out them in a tightening trap. The creatures boiled together in a mass as they searched for escape.

"_Now Tenten!" came a voice.  
_

Sakura's call broke the pull of the illusion on her senses, shaking her head a little, Tenten moved like a flash back to her large seal scroll. Gathering it up she launched herself high into the air.

"Eat this!" she yelled, unfurling it from the bindings.

Her hand swiped over a large intricate seal that released a spinning bundle of explosion tags. The cannonball-like bomb hurtled to it's mark and hit it with a deafening explosion, obliterating the creatures. As Tenten landed the illusion winked out of existence and a relieved looking Sakura who materialized nearby gave her a smiling nod.

Hana, Daichi and Futaba all gawked at the two chuunin in amazement. The spell of wonderment was brief though as Hana noticed a piece of centipede stuck in her hair. "Eww! Gross!" echoed from the three kids as they each started to clean off the results of Tenten's attack.

Tenten smiled at their antics and turned to Sakura who was scanning the village rooftops due east. Yukimaru and his brother clearly created a diversion to make their escape. "I didn't need your help by the way..." Tenten said smartly as she walked over to where Sakura stood. She softened her tone as she finished, "but thank you for saving my team."

Sakura's face hinted surprise as she suppressed as smile. While they always got along well enough as teammates, but Tenten did little to hide her rivalry with Tsunade's apprentice.  
"No," Sakura replied, "I should thank you, I spied those three crossing into the village after I sent my team back. I decided to trail them alone. I knew it would be risky to take them on by myself." She turned to look at the genin who were still complaining loudly about bug guts. "You are a very good squad leader, you know, " she told her.

Tenten felt her face get warm at the compliment. She turned quickly to look in the direction where they were both sure the two cloud-nins had fled. "Should we pursue them?" she asked seriously changing subject, "They are dangerous enough to still cause trouble."

Sakura shook her head as Tenten's glance returned to her. "I have a good idea where they're headed," she said giving Tenten one of her rare evil grins, "And those two will wish they were still dealing with us soon enough."

Across the village seeming half a world away Naruto was locked in battle with another difficult creature.

Towering over him even as he stood on the rooftops was the coiling menace of Manda, King of Snakes, Orochimaru's most powerful summon. The snake's jet purple mass coiled together in the flattened area made by its demolishing entrance to the village. Naruto, not the one to play defense, brandished two kunai with teleport tags and threw them to either side of Manda's bulk. His hands were a blur as he performed a jutsu combo of this own devising.

"_Kage Bushin Hiraishin no jutsu!"_ (Shadow Clone Flying Thunder Spirit Technique)

Two shadow clones appeared next to Naruto. As he placed his hands on them they instantly winked out of existence appearing where the two kunai has landed. All three brought their hands together in a series of seals then in unison slapped their palms to the ground.

_Doton: Yomi Toge_ (Earth Type: Spines of the Underworld)

A black pool spread swiftly along the ground from each of their hands. In the blink of an eye three large midnight pools surrounded Manda. From each sprang sharp rocky crags, like the spines on the back of a giant fish, rising to and pierce through the giant snake. A hiss emerged from Manda as bared his fangs. Naruto grimaced seeing the result. _"I was too slow."_ he thought. The snake's eyes were cloudy as it's body began to deflate. Manda had used it's skin to substitute itself for the target of Naruto's attack.

Naruto knew he didn't even have time to turn around as he felt something massive rise up from under the earth behind him. Flinging himself to another rooftop he turned to see Manda's tail smash to splintered rubble the three story house he had just been standing on.

A street over Manda's head emerged staring balefully at him. "When I eat you," it said, "I will digest you very slowly, extracting all of that Nine-tails chakra."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto yelled, "Whatever, ya over-sized earthworm!" As he bantered another kage bushin appeared beside him. Taking this one by the arm Naruto whipped him around like a chain hammer to launch right at the snake's head. The clone cried out, "Rasengan!" as the tight swirl of chakra appeared in it's hand.

Manda roared a powerful serpentine hiss, the sound of it shook the air as it carried a shockwave of the creature's chakra, destroying the bushin before it could connect. The real Naruto had moved right to the base of the monster holding another rasengan, this one gave off a dark glow as it's vortex seemed to draw in the light and air around it. Naruto acted before Manda could attack again bringing his hand down as he cryed out

"_Saikodama Rasengan!" _(Perfect Marble Swirling Sphere)

The sphere in Naruto's hand shrank as he brought it down, becoming tighter and faster until it appeared no more than a shiny black ball as it met the soft dirt. The ground on which Manda's bulk sat erupted. The rasengan passed underground to expand billowing up in a violent explosion. Manda was launched straight up in the air to it's own bewilderment. A smug looking Naruto waited below him with another of his wind jutsu spinning like a thousand whistling blades in his hand.

The Manda was far from finished as he's opened his giant maw at Naruto.

"_Hebi-Ou no Doku!"_ (Venom of the Snake King)

A torrent of sizzling liquid sprayed down from the monster's fangs. Naruto cursed aloud as he dug a seal wrapped kunai out and whipped it at tree in the distance. As his Hiraishin transfer met the tree branch it puffed into smoke replaced by the hand of a clinging Naruto.

He watched in disgust as the giant creature flattened another dozen houses in his fall, the rising dust screening most of the beast's girth, but even then Naruto could see it's violet hued mass shifting in the fog. He cursed again. "What the hell!" he said as he swung up to stand on the tree branch. This fight wasn't going his way so far and before it was all over half of Konoha's buildings would be destroyed. Naruto was trying to come up with something that could take down a stadium-sized reptile when he heard a powerful voice enter his mind.

"_Oi, gaki! Still can't handle things by yourself yet," it said._

Naruto smiled, it had been some time since they had talked.. "_Haven't heard from you in a while, ya damn fox,"_ he thought.

"_You haven't been this pathetic in a while," it quipped._

Naruto caught himself grinding his teeth when after a pause the Kyuubi added, "_Maybe you should try it my way."_

Naruto immediately hated the idea, yet conceded the fox had a point. There wasn't any other way to be certain he'd defeat the Manda and leave most of the village standing. "Alright," he said aloud, "Let's do it, but get him out of the village first."

A sensation of deep satisfaction that was not his own rolled through the blonde chuunin. _"I'll show you how it's done, boy."_

Naruto leap and ran over roof tops towards his huge adversary. The dust had thinned to mere haze as Manda turned toward him.

"Ahhh," exhaled Manda in pleasure, "There you are. I don't like when my food hides."

"Ok bastard," Naruto yelled, "I'm gonna give you what you've come for." He faced him unzipping the flak jacket he wore underneath his coat. Revealing a black undershirt he deftly slid out a kunai and sliced open its fabric to show his bare torso beneath. On his muscled stomach lay the cursed seal given him by the fourth Hokage, it's black calligraphy unfaded after eighteen years lay in sharp contrast to his pale skin.

Naruto nicked his finger in clenched teeth and as the blood flowed he dabbed to other fingertips placing all of them over the seal on his navel. In his mind's eye Naruto saw himself in a very familiar cavernous room before a massive iron gate. A seal tag was placed on it over and the papery remnants of an older seal, one he had broken, were visible beneath. The newer seal that replaced old was one of his own making and it symbolized a slightly different contract with his demonic tenant. A dangerous being that even now shifted in the inky depths behind the bars.

Two frightening eyes shone crimson from the caged darkness. "_Come, do it," _it said with impatience

Naruto showed no fear as he approached the seal with an outstretched hand. His palm hovered over it's destination as he looked up at those eyes. "Remember," he said sternly, "I want him out of the village first."

The red gaze narrowed slightly. It did not like to be told what to do, but it gave certain allowances to this brat in front of him. _"Ahh,"_ the Ninetails assented with annoyance. _"Saa, haiyaku!"_

Naruto's hand touched the seal and in the world outside himself he felt his voice echo with the power.

"_Hakke no Fuuin Gyaku!" _(Divine Seal of the Eight Trigrams Reversal)

An explosive sound of crashing rubble could be heard as a white mist, like a powerful summoning, poured forth before the King of the Snakes. The Manda hissed with pleasure as it guessed at what had happened. "Did you call out a toad for me to eat first?" he rasped mockingly. It's black eye's narrowed to slits as it saw large shadows list about in the thinning mist. _"Something as big as I," it thought, "maybe even..."_

A sinister, gloating laugh emerged from the mist. The drifting shapes in the gloom coalesced into blood red tails that crested high enough to blot the sun's light. Teeth glinted from a maw that spoke in voice like black thunder, causing the Manda to recoil in response it had rarely felt in it's long life, terror.

"Now snake," said the Kyuubi in the flesh, "let us see who shall do the eating."

The tremors of Naruto's titanic battle could be felt throughout the village, yet Shikamaru was too preoccupied to let attention be spent on things outside his control.

Moving swiftly from branch to roof to hidden vantage, he spared little thought as to what monstrous things the other Leaf-nins were dealing with. "_I have my own monsters," he thought._

Peaking around the edge of a wall, from a window ledge above a narrow street Shikamaru spied Neji below him in an alley facing opposite his position. Shikamaru was immediately comforted to see the Byakugan on the pale visage of his partner. _"Having that guy here means we shouldn't get surprised." he thought._

Neji brought his palm up and Shikamaru tensed as he pressed his body up against the cool brick. At the end of the street where the sun's rays played deeply into the street's lazy shadows, he found their adversary. Arashi Setsuko even now had a frailty about her, her slight appearance, her porcelain skin, her hair the color of snowy lilacs. Yet her eyes cast a frost that sought their prey with mechanical precision. Shikamaru felt himself hold his breath as she started to walk towards them.

_"She's shows no fear of being ambushed," he thought. "Actually she doesn't show much of anything."_ Naruto had warned him about her temper, but he figured he could sooner make this one belch her name like Choji than get her angry. With eerie calm Setsuko paced down the street scanning windows and doorways, moving nearer to where Shikamaru wanted her to be. "_Yosh_," he cheered silently.

Neji, who could see easily see out around the corner from where he hid in the alley's entrance way, shifted his foot causing a slight scraping sound to whisper through air. Setsuko was a blur of movement as her slivery threaded needles studded the brick of the alleyway. A sound like a buzzing fly tickled Shikamaru's ear just as the pin-cushioned walls exploded. In a flashing step to the middle of the street Neji appeared unhurt and only short distance from Setsuko. Bringing both arms forward she released a new spray of electrified senbon on her target. With his flawless timing, Neji whipped his body around in his perfect defense.

"_Kaiten_!" (Heavenly Spin)

Shikamaru capitalized on the moment. As Neji deflected the attack, he deftly threw four kunai at explosion tags he'd set on the high walls above the narrow streets entrance.  
Setsuko barely lifted her head at the sound as the smoking brick fell onto her. Neji covered his face as the dust and smoke rushed past him. The haze clearing to reveal the impressive pile of rubble created by the collapse of walls from each side of the street.

All was silent and Neji scanned the pile then looking up at Shikamaru gave him a smug smile. "She in there," he called up, "we have her." It was now Shikamaru's turn to smile with relief.

Neji turned back quickly. The brick and mortar in front of him blew out from the pile and from it walked a unflustered and unscathed Setsuko. Neji grit his teeth, this close to his opponent he instinctively let his arms span wide.

Shikamaru recognized the stance and called out, "Wait, Neji." It was too late.

_"Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!"_ (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)

The Hyuuga clan genius moved faster than Shikamaru's eyes could follow materializing in front of Setsuko his fingers stabbing forward to close her chakra points. A crackling explosion sounded as Neji was thrown backward high in the air. Shikamaru threw a smoke bomb in front of Setsuko and caught Neji's flying body out of the air. Tossing him over a shoulder, Shikamaru sprang off to put as much distance as possible between him and their clearly failed attempt at an ambush.

Clearing his second building Shikamaru heard Neji cough a little and decided they had run far enough. Landing on a rooftop, Shikamaru gave Neji's butt, conveniently located next to his head, a stiff whack.

"Oi, Neji you still alive?" Shikamaru inquired. He was rewarded with an equally stiff elbow to the back of the head. With a smile, he stopped unloaded his cantankerous cargo beside him on the roof's ledge.

Neji's face was pale and without byakugan. He bent over to steady himself with his forearms leaning again his knees. He held his hands palm up as they shook uncontrollably. The skin on them was a patchwork of black and red burns. Shikamaru vigilantly scanned behind them as Neji with nimble fingers despite pain reworked the bandages he always had on his arms over the wounds.

"Can she turn her chakra to lightning and release it from her very skin?" Neji asked as he finally straightened and gingerly brought a hand over his face to rub at the temples of his forehead.

Shikamaru crossed his arms as he looked back the way he had come. The place where they had just been a few streets over looked completely demolished. _"She's too powerful," he thought, "there has to be a trick to it."_

"I don't think so," Shikamaru said, answering his partner and erstwhile rival's question, "From what we've seen she'd have more chakra than even Naruto and since I don't believe she carries a tailed demon... she must have a _kekkei genkai_. "

Kekkei genkai, a blood inheritance limit that a shinobi could never learn only be born with. Those who mastered such inherited abilities were declared genius by many ninja and their bloodlines closely guarded by the clans and villages that possessed them. The man standing next to him had it, so did Uchiha Sasuke. Shikamaru decided he didn't have time to be impressed.

"_All blood limit users are one trick ponies," mused Shikamaru, "The game is figuring out the trick before they kill you." _

Neji's byakugan reappearred, he said, "She's too slow to capitalize on the advantage. She underestimates us or.."

"...she needs the recovery time...," finished Shikamaru seeing where he was going, "or maybe recharge time."

Shikamaru noticed a slight haziness to the south. "Water... the hot spring bathhouses are right by us. Hey Neji," he began as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"Good thinking, Shikamaru," Neji said just as he launching himself towards the bathhouses. "I'll wait there. It's your turn at bait."

Shikamaru became a little wide-eyed, before his characteristic frown returned. "Bastard," he cursed with a remembered fondness that changed frown into grin. It had been long time, but he suddenly recalled how much he enjoyed working with Neji. He turned back looking for the rebel cloud-nin's arrival. Standing idle as the sun played cross the now fading clouds Shikamaru mentally inventoried his supplies, what he'd use now and what he'd need later.

He didn't mind the waiting for Setsuko, after all planning was the best part.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

This chapter barely moves forward all the crazy plot threads... but that's ok because I wanted to give the impression of a war. I get tired of the standard shounen battle fare where everyone stands around saying ominous things while watching the most inexperience fighter (i.e. the main character) make a come-from-behind win against each villain in a nice neat power-order succession. 

Naruto in this story breaks from canon in he's a chuunin and he knows some other attack jutsu besides rasengan. I gave him a Doton cause I figured that was what Jiraiya used. Of course to spite me the current manga plot threads have hyped all this elemental-incomplete jutsu stuff.

Oh well. I think what's presented here is somewhat plausible. I may need to rewrite some of my Sasuke stuff... not personality mind you, just battle style... sigh (I really am close to an end to this story.)


End file.
